HAMILTON SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION 111 



animate vortice, somewhat in imitation of the law of fluids 

 through a resisting medium. In these flights across a district 

 or province, the ornithic stream is always at an altitude 

 above ordinary rifle range, and all, or nearly all, of the hawk 

 inhabitants (of the district passed over) seem to be attracted 

 "to catch on" and join the procession. The number is 

 almost incalculable, for the multitude stretches across the 

 sky atid usually (or invariably rather) is in motion from east 

 to west, as seen from this township of Bur ford, and frequently 

 occupies from one to three hours in the serene unhasting 

 movement over a given point. In fact there is always a 

 degree of grandeur attendant on a view of this phenomenon, 

 as being suggestive of military generalship and obedience to 

 discipline. It is probable that the great altitude at which the 

 " hegira " is conducted is one reason that it eludes notice of 

 all but watchful sky gazers. 



The writer of this paper has been, two, three or four 

 times an eye witness of these impressive " exoduses " in the 

 course of forty years, which take place so high up in the 

 heavens that only very attentive observers are apt to enjoy 

 the privilege. 



What seems singular, a few hawks in a locality, perhaps 

 owing to lack of vigilance (or else mere apathetic ones) fail 

 to be " sucked in" by the circling column of waving wings 

 overhead, or else fail to hear and to respond to the " roll 

 call" or "rallying cry," which leaders of all feathered 

 armies or detachments utter when on their lines of travel, by 

 way of pilotage to their uninitiated congeners. 



Among the instances of such bird "left behinds " we 

 call to memory one when, 7 or 8 years ago in the Township 

 of Norwich, 4 or 5 miles from here, a "red-wing Grackle " 

 straggled from among " the moving away " mass of its con- 

 geners, and comforted its feeling of bereavement by associat- 

 ing, on mutually amicable terms, with a big party of Town 

 Sparrows, and lived in town stables and carriage houses in 

 seeming contentment during several winter months, and was 

 at length caught by an acquaintance of the writer and 



