140 



forgets that he has himself called especial attention to thi 

 that this species is one of the most powerful fliers knowi 

 bird which can maintain a speed of over 200 miles an hour 

 long period, would hardly be likely to be blown very far out 

 course by the most violent of gales. Two other species, 

 Sabinii and Rossi are included in his American list of Helij 

 captures, though so little is known of their breeding groi 

 Eecently, however, Nansen has met with the latter in 

 numbers in Franz Joseph Land, thus rendering it improbable 1 

 the Heligoland example may have come from America at all. 



In the light of the evidence discussed in the present and f( 

 going chapters, it seems very hazardous to assert the opin! 

 that the migrations or wanderings of any species are strid 

 confined to a rigidly mapped out route. Probably every b| 

 goes its own way. Those huge assemblages which pass pal 

 cular points result from the fact that the path of many in reaj 

 ing certain localities is for a long distance identical. 

 species, nay every little clan of birds has its own migrat*' 

 history, resembling as a whole the story of the common 

 but on the other hand differing at many points in its mil 

 details. So far from being characterised by a flight in two 

 directions, the route followed will be partially governed by t 

 relative positions of breeding grounds and winter quarters, aj 

 the time honoured paths by which the traveUing hosts have 

 unknown ages passed from one to the other. Even in the li 

 of Herr Gatke's theories the simple east to west autumnal fli 

 has at some point to be supplemented by a turn to the south 

 south-west, and again the course of the north and south joui 

 in the countries lying towards the head of the Mediterfai 

 Sea, gives way to a flight from north-west to south-east. 



