26o TiMEHRl. 



Special cases of local migration occur in many groups 

 during the breeding season, as in the Scarlet Ibis and 

 the Egrets, which, at such times, swarm in certain un- 

 frequented parts of the coast, more especially in the 

 swampy parts of the bush-covered alluvial islands, while 

 they are usually widely distributed at other times. The 

 great storks, too, seem to betake themselves to elevated 

 points in the wilds of the interior, as do the brilliant 

 Cotingas, which, however, though descending far from 

 the high lands, never leave the high forest after the 

 breeding season. On these birds, as on many others, 

 observations are greatly needed on the life history, habits 

 and habitats ; but the difficulties to be contended with 

 have hitherto almost precluded the possibility of obtaining 

 exa6l knowledge. 



Of the migratory birds proper, from the wintry dis- 

 tri6ls of the northern regions, the United States and 

 Canada, we have representatives of many different 

 groups, through the great majority of forms belong to the 

 families of the plover and the snipe, including such forms 

 as the stilts, the curlews, the yellow-shanks and the sand- 

 pipers. It is worthy of special note that scanty as are 

 the records of the path of migration of the species, the 

 special problems of migration in the western hemisphere 

 are not less interesting than those in the eastern. Not 

 so many years ago, apparently sound ideas were held 

 as to many of the problems of migration, on lines that 

 seemed reasonable and intelligible, but recent extended 

 observations, and more especially those of HERRGATKEon 

 the island of Heligoland, carried out during a long course 

 of years, have more or less discredited many past hypo- 

 theses, and we are to-day in face of problems as regards 



