ON THE OCCURRENCE OF AMERICAN BIRDS IN EUROPE. 46] 
bouring north coast of Germany—while here in Heligoland I have 
oftentimes obtained it in such numbers that more than twenty of the 
finest adult male birds have been bought by me in one day, and per- 
haps the same number by the bird-stuffers of the island. The fore- 
going admits of one conclusion only, namely, that this little bird per- 
forms the passage from Egypt to Heligoland in one uninterrupted 
flight, travelling—as many of the other small Insectivore do—during 
the night, starting 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 rest or 
any 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 rising from it after 
having recovered sufficient strength to resume their flight; and that 
at times, too, when the water is far from being unruffled. This state- 
ment is based on the following observations. One day, when out in a 
boat shooting, about two or three miles from Heligoland, I 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 
“noor 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 exhausted very much, because it was float- 
ing 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 a third time, but with the same result, whereupon we refrained 
from all further attempts at forcing our well-intended assistance upon 
