MIGRATION. 277 



caught a stork upon his estate near Lernburg, put 

 round its neck an iron collar with this inscription, 

 ' Ha?c ciconia ex Polonia' (this stork comes from 

 Poland), and set it at liberty. This year the bird re- 

 turned to the same spot, and was again caught by 

 the same person. It had acquired a new collar of 

 gold, with the inscription, 'India cum donis remit- 

 tit ciconiam Polonis' (India sends back the stork 

 to the Poles with gilts). The gentleman, after 

 having shown the inscription to his neighbours, again 

 set the bird at liberty*." It is worthy of remark that 

 the stork emigrates on the approach of winter, even 

 when circumstance of climate or food cannot operate, 

 or can operate but faintly in inducing it to do so. 

 Thus, at Bagdad, which enjoys an extremely mild 

 winter, and where even a slight degree of frost is not 

 usual, the stork regularly leaves the place against the 

 approach of that season. 



In like manner the quail, which in spring is dif- 

 fused over all the temperate regions of Europe, is 

 known to betake itself, in autumn, to the coasts of 

 Africa, and to penetrate into Arabia and Persia. 

 Notwithstanding the smallness of their wings they 

 cross the Mediterranean : they wait whole weeks for 

 a favourable wind, reposing on every small isle: 

 hence they are taken by thousands on the Ionian isles 

 and the coast of Asia. Should the wind change 

 rapidly, great numbers of them perish in the sea. 

 Swallows have been seen crossing the Mediterranean 

 in autumn towards the African shores, but where 

 their voyage terminates is yet unknown. 



It is remarkable that all migratory birds, when 

 detained in captivity, manifest great agitation when 

 the period of their migration arrives, insomuch that 

 some of them, the quail in particular, occasionally 

 kill themselves through their efforts to escape. This 

 * < Atlas/ December 21, 1834. 



