THE BIRD AS A TRAVELLER 69 



storm comes up and it grows so foggy they can't see 

 how to follow the rivers — don't they sometimes lose 

 themselves ? \ 



" Yes, very often they become confused and fly this 

 way and that, but always toward the nearest place 

 where they see a light, as if it meant escape for them. 

 But this instinct is frequently their death, for they fly 

 against the towers of great lighthouses, or the win- 

 dows of tall buildings, or even electric wires, and thus 

 break their necks or wings." 



"That is why I have so often found dead birds 

 along the turnpike under the telegraph wires," said 

 Rap. 



" Yes, Rap, the inventions of man are very wonder- 

 ful, but some of them have been sad things for Bird 

 People, and this is another reason why we should pro- 

 tect them whenever we can. These journeys that the 

 birds make when they leave their nesting haunts for 

 the winter season, and return again in spring, are called 

 migrations. The word ' migrate ' means to move from 

 one country to another with the intention of remain- 

 ing there for some time. The birds who onl}^ make 

 little trips about the country, never staying long in 

 one place, we call visitors. 



" Birds may be divided according to their journeys 

 into three groups, which will help you to place them: 



1. Citizens . . . Those Bird People whose families 



stay in or near the same place the 

 year round, roving about some- 

 what according to the food-sup- 

 ply and weather. 



