chap, ii.] BIRDS. 23 



India and China. — In the peninsula of India and in China 

 great numbers of northern birds arrive during September and 

 October, and leave from March to May. Among the smaller 

 birds are wagtails, pipits, larks, stonechats, warblers, thrushes, 

 buntings, shrikes, starlings, hoopoes, and quails. Some species 

 of cranes and storks, many ducks, and great numbers of Scolo- 

 pacidce also visit India in winter ; and to prey upon these 

 come a band of rapacious birds — the peregrine falcon, the hobby, 

 kestrel, common sparrowhawk, hairier, and the short-eared owl. 

 These birds are almost all natives of Europe and Western Asia ; 

 they spread over all northern and central India, mingling with 

 the sedentary birds of the oriental fauna, and give to the orni- 

 thology of Hindostan at this season quite a European aspect. 

 The peculiar species of the higher Himalayas do not as a rule 

 descend to the plains in winter, but merely come lower down the 

 mountains ; and in southern India and Ceylon comparatively 

 few of these migratory birds appear. 



In China the migratory birds follow generally the coast line, 

 coming southwards in winter from eastern Siberia and northern 

 Japan ; while a few purely tropical forms travel northwards in 

 summer to Japan, and on the mainland as far as the valley of 

 the Amoor. 



North America. — The migrations of birds in North America 

 have been carefully studied by resident naturalists, and present 

 some interesting features. The birds of the eastern parts of 

 North America are pre-eminently migratory, a much smaller pro- 

 portion being permanent residents than in corresponding latitudes 

 in Europe. Thus, in Massachusetts there are only about 30 species 

 of birds which are resident all the year, while the regular 

 summer visitors are 106. Comparing with this our own country, 

 though considerably further north, the proportions are reversed ; 

 there being 140 residents and 63 summer visitors. This differ- 

 ence is clearly due to the much greater length and severity of 

 the winter, and the greater heat of summer, in America than 

 with us. The number of permanent residents increases pretty 

 regularly as we go southward ; but the number of birds at any 

 locality during the breeding season seems to increase as we go 



