THE TRAVELS OF BIRDS 



habit of crossing at this particular place still 

 remains. 



Though I do not know of any cases of this 

 kind in America, we shall find equally interest- 

 ing facts concerning the air lines of our birds. 

 For example, how do you suppose the little 

 Wheatear, no larger than a Bluebird, formed 

 the habit of migrating from Africa to Green- 

 land? Probably he comes by way of England 

 and Iceland, but at the best it is a long journey 

 and seems to take the bird much farther than it 

 is necessary to go. In the fall he goes back to 

 winter in Africa. 



Doubtless some European waterbirds visit us 

 every year, but the Wheatear, so far as I know, 

 is the only land bird which migrates regularly 

 between North America and Africa. With this 

 exception no North American land birds leave 

 the Western Hemisphere in their migrations. 

 Their motto might be "See America first !" Cer- 

 tainly many of them see a large part of it. 



The birds of the western United States are not 

 such great travelers as those of the eastern part 

 38 



