THE TRAVELS OF BIRDS 



being colored, were sent to Havana, a distance 

 of one hundred and eight miles. They were re- 

 leased on the morning of July i ith, and returned 

 to the Key the next day. It may be said that 

 these birds had flown over this route before, but 

 in the next test the birds used were taken on a 

 voyage over a part of the sea about which they 

 could have known nothing. 



On June i3th, three Noddy and two Sooty 

 Terns were caught and marked, and sent from 

 Bird Key to Key West. Here they were placed 

 in the hold of a northbound steamer. They were 

 carefully fed and watered, and on June i6th 

 were released about twelve miles east of Cape 

 Hatteras, off the coast of North Carolina. This 

 is about one thousand and eighty miles by water 

 from Bird Key a long journey even for the 

 most highly trained homing Pigeon. But the 

 birds' compass pointed the way, and on the morn- 

 ing of June 2ist, both the Sooties were found on 

 their nests, and one of the Noddies was seen 

 several days later. 



Still we might say, as someone indeed sug- 

 144 



