THE TRAVELS OF BIRDS 



sky they must look like wooded islands sur- 

 rounded by a sea of houses. So the migrating 

 birds which in the country would be scattered 

 over a wide area, in the city are all drawn to the 

 only places where they may find trees to alight 

 in and insects to eat. 



THE NIGHT FLYERS THROUGH A TELESCOPE 



It is surprising to look at a drop of what seems 

 to be pure water through a microscope and find 

 scores of little animals swimming about in it. It 

 is even more astonishing to look into the sky at 

 night through a telescope and see that countless 

 numbers of birds are flying through it. 



This can be done only when the moon is full 

 or nearly full. Then it forms a background 

 against which the birds are seen to cross between 

 you and its bright, golden face. A small, or 

 low-power telescope is used in order that all the 

 moon may be in the field of the glass. In this 

 way the background is made as large as possible. 



At various times and places I have watched 

 the night journeys of birds through a telescope. 

 82 



