180 THE STORY. OF THE BIRDS. 
well as the southern. All birds except the most 
social seem to like to get apart from others in nest- 
ing, and even in the social kinds one colony usually 
pre-empts all of a certain region. The tendency to 
conceal the nest is very strong in many birds, and 
such as turkeys, guineas, etc., of our domestic birds 
even steal away at this season. Here, then, from a 
crowded condition might be set up a movement from 
any center in any direction, and the northward spring 
migration of southern birds may be only an inci- 
dental portion of this motion. Doubtless much of 
the distribution of birds—a topic our little book will 
have to omit—depends upon this tendency and the 
seeking of new food fields. This latter may also be 
one element of this form of migration. 
Having once come up north and made their homes 
(nests) here, the tendency of the young bird is to re- 
main in his native region, and to be driven south only 
by stress of weather and famine. But if food be pres- 
ent we find many of these southern birds learning to 
endure northern winters, such as doves, mockers, car- 
dinals, flickers, ete. 
But the question that most concerns us is how the 
bird travels. Flight of course is the usual means, 
though a few, such as quails, turkeys, etc., move south- 
ward afoot often. But flight makes extensive migra- 
tion possible. It is said that some plovers that nest 
in Labrador winter in Patagonia, their long wings 
easily carrying them this great distance. But even 
short-winged birds make long flights at this season. 
There are doubtless some long migrations made in a 
