256 Hexshaw", Migration of the Pacific Plover. [july 



An attempt to apply to the ease of the Pacific Plover wintering 

 in Hawaii the same principles so well worked out for the Atlantic 

 coast form is not so successful. About September the wind that 

 prevails in the North Pacific immediately south of the Aleutians is 

 from the northwest. It is generally believed that migrating birds 

 prefer to fly on a beam wind. By heading southwest birds migrat- 

 ing to Hawaii might have the northwest wind abeam till about the 

 neighborhood of latitude 30° where they would be almost sure to 

 pick up the northeast trades. By then changing their course to 

 southeast they would be enabled to fly with wind abeam till they 

 sighted the islands. That they follow such a course in fall and 

 steer their course by either the northwest wind or the northeast 

 trades, there is not a particle of proof that I can bring forward; 

 nor do I know any facts to justify a statement that they do or do 

 not utilize the winds as guides either in fall or in spring. 



The results of recent experiments by Prof. John B. Watson with 

 Sooty and Noddy Terns along our south Atlantic coast go far to 

 prove the contention long maintained by many that birds actually 

 possess a sense of direction, tantamount to a sixth sense. If we 

 grant this, as we may ultimately be compelled to do, the ability 

 of birds to find their way both by land and sea is explained without 

 further trouble, and quite independently of landmarks of any kind 

 or of the winds. The possession of such a useful sense will explain 

 many difficult problems of migration, and among others the apparent 

 confidence with which migrants boldly launch out from Hawaii for 

 a 2000 mile flight across the Pacific, without the aid of any compass 

 apparent to human intelligence. 



Danger of oceanic migration. — Of the fall migration of the 

 Golden Plover on the Atlantic it may be remarked that while the 

 birds have no landmarks to steer by after leaving the northeast 

 coast, they are yet within comparatively easy flight of the mainland, 

 and, in event of a bad northeastern wind, they can, and in fact 

 often do, take refuge on the New England coast; and further on, 

 in bad Aveather or in case of unpropitious winds, they alight for 

 rest and food in the West Indies. 



The Pacific Plover traverses a much more hazardous route since, 

 when once clear of the Aleutian Islands, it not only leaves all land- 

 marks behind but also all ports of refuge. The Hawaiian Archi- 



