144 Allen, Gatke's 'Heligoland: [_Amil 



Again, in regard to the American Golden Plover, which he 

 believes makes the journey from Labrador to northern Brazil " in 

 one uninterrupted flight," it may be worth while to mention that 

 this species is a well-known autumn migrant all along the Atlantic 

 co.ist of the United States, and in the West Indies, during a 

 period of from four to six weeks, varying in abundance, and in the 

 length of stay of any particular flock, according to the weather, 

 being common at numerous well-known points for from a few 

 hours to a few days, in the case of heavy easterly storms, and rare 

 during continued fair weather. 1 Because there is a record of flocks 

 passing the Burmudas without stopping, it does not follow that 

 these flocks may not afterwards have stopped at some of the many 

 islands of the West Indies, or that flocks that pass the Massachu- 

 setts coast without stopping may not halt at points on the coast 

 further south ; for, as said above, the species is of frequent occur- 

 rence as an autumnal visitor all along the Atlantic coast from 

 New England to Florida and in the West Indies. 



Chapter V (pp. 74-99) considers the 'Meteorological Condi- 

 tions which influence Migration,' as the force and direction of 

 the winds, the state of the atmosphere as regards moisture, 

 cloudiness, temperature, etc., all of these influences being intelli- 

 gently discussed, and their effects illustrated by reference to the 

 author's experiences at Heligoland. 



In Chapter VI (pp. 1 00-113), on tne 'Order of Migration 

 according to Age and Sex,' the author's dogmatism and disregard 

 of whatever occurs outside of Heligoland stands prominently 

 forth. "The question," says Gatke, "as to the order of age and 

 sex in which migrants take up their annual journeys is one on 

 which, up to the most recent time, there have prevailed more 

 serious errors than on any problem connected with the migration 

 phenomenon. It was generally supposed that the old birds acted 

 as the leaders, teachers, and guides of the young ones on their 

 migrations; and although this view was not based on any obser- 

 vations whatsoever in Nature, it seemed so natural and reasonable 

 that it was accepted in pure good faith, without subjecting it to 



1 See Mackay, Auk, VIII, iScji.pp. 17-24 — record of the autumn migration 

 of this species in Massachusetts for thirty years. Ibid., IX, 1S92, p. 199; X, 

 t8 93- P- 79: XI, 1S94, p. 75; XII, 1895, p. 78; XIII, 1896, pp. 89-92, pass/w. 



