7348 Birds. 



from Egypt to Heligoland in one uninteiTupled flight, travelling, 

 as ,many oT the smaller Insectivorje do, during the night, startmg 

 towards sunset and arriving here about sunrise or a little later, the 

 time occupied being from twelve to fourteen hours. The distance 

 from Egypt to Heligoland being about 400 geographical miles less 

 than that between Newfoundland and Ireland, the rate of flight of 

 this delicate little bird may be put down the same as that rendered 

 by the above-mentioned carrier pigeon, and consequently furnishes a 

 further proof that a healthy well-flying bird is able to cross from the 

 nearest point of America to Ireland without any rest or extraordinary 

 support whatever. 



In the foregoing I alluded to the aptness of non-natatorial birds of 

 resting, in case of exhaustion, on the sea, and of rishig from it after 

 having recovered sufficient strength to resume their flight, and that at 

 times, too, when the water is far from being unrufl3ed. This state- 

 ment is based on the following observ.ations. One day, when out in 

 a boat shooting, about two or three miles from Heligoland, 1 observed 

 a very small bird swimming on the water. Neither the boatman nor 

 myself being able to discern what species it belonged to, we became 

 very eager to secure the stranger, conjecturing that it would turn out 

 to be some wonderful rarity. When preparing to fire I fortunately 

 discovered that the expected prize was nothing but a song thrush ! 

 Immediately our desire to kill was changed into compassion : the 

 *' poor thrush" in so piteous a situation was to be " saved." But how 

 great was our astonishment when, upon the approach of the boat, the 

 bird, without any apparent difficulty, rose from the water and flew 

 towards Heligoland in first-rate style ! Another time we saw a snow 

 bunting, evidently very much exhausted, because it was floating 

 scarcely 500 yards from the island. At the approach of my boat this 

 bird also very lightly rose from the water, but it was so weak that it 

 had to resume its' unnatural resting-place after proceeding about 

 thirty or forty yards towards the rocks. We went after it again and 

 for the third time, but with the same result, whereupon we refrained 

 from all further attempts at forcing our well-intended assistance upon 

 so obstinate a fellow, the more so as we entertained no doubts that 

 after a little rest he would obtain a more solid footing without any 

 help of ours. 



I will give one more instance of the propensity in birds, in all my 

 experience the most striking. This time it was a mountain finch 

 which had been compelled to alight for rest on the water of the sea ; 

 it was about three miles east of Heligoland. When this bird was 



