The Mhjration of Binh, 117 



awarded to Mrs. Bacliman, for the best specimens 

 of indigenous plants, the other to Rev. John Bach- 

 man, for the best specimens of cauliflower. 



Dr. Bach man had also employed his few leisure 

 moments in preparing an Essay entitled, " The 

 Migration of the Birds of XortJi America^' — a sub- 

 ject that had attracted his attention from boyhood. 

 The paper was read before the Literary and Philo- 

 sophical Society of Charleston, March 15th, 1833. 

 It was afterwards published in one of the scientific 

 journals. 



We give a few extracts : 



'• For ages past, the migration of birds has been a 

 subject of great interest to naturalists. The myste- 

 rious appearance and disappearance of many species, 

 at different periods of the year; the remote or un- 

 known situations to which they retire ; the sudden 

 appearance of some birds in the spring, after one or 

 two days of warm weather, and their equally sudden 

 disappearance on the first cold day ; all have con- 

 duced to create many vague and superstitious 

 notions in the minds of the uninformed, and have 

 often left the intelligent student of nature in per- 

 plexity and doubt. * * All are agreed on one 

 point, that there is a wide field open for inquiry 

 and observation. The works of God, amidst the 

 w^onders of nature, are always worthy of investiga- 

 tion. 



Very little has been Avritten on the migration of 

 North American birds; atopic probably regarded of 

 too little importance to meet the research necessary 

 to a satisfactory result of sucli an intricate subject ; 

 for the elucidation of which, I have myself possessed 



