172 PROBLEMS OF BIRD LIFE. 



landed, are another. All the land-birds that touch at the Ber- 

 mudas take a southwest course to the Bahamas, so that Colum- 

 bus was running across the line of their annual flight before 

 he changed his course and followed them. But this migration, 

 though it carries myriads of birds, lasts but a short season. 

 Had Columbus come too early, he would have seen no birds, 

 and a few days later the hosts would have been already in 

 their Southern homes. As Mr. Chapman says : " After nearly 

 twenty years of disappointment, a delay of ten days at Palos 

 would not have seemed of much importance. But if Columbus 

 had sailed from Palos September 16th, or, using the ' new 

 style,' September 26th, he would have seen few migratory land- 

 birds, or none. Whether, in their absence, he would have had 

 sufficient influence over his men to force them to continue a 

 westward course, is an open question ; but we can clearly see 

 that, without the presence of birds, his efforts at allaying their 

 fears would have been seconded by no really conclusive signs 

 of land." 



And so all good Americans must be thankful to the birds. 

 Had it not been for their, guidance, the whole course of Ameri- 

 can history would have been changed, and, indeed, the history 

 of the whole world would have been different. For all we 

 owe to the birds, both in protecting our fields and orchards, 

 and in guiding Columbus to land, are we not bound to be bird 

 protectors, and good friends of theirs ? 



