12 



Robin. 

 (Merula migratoria.) 



To comment upon bird song without 

 reference to the 

 robin (erron- 

 eously so called 

 — in reality one 

 of our thrush- 

 es) would be a 

 slight upon 

 man's most 

 congenial bird 

 companion. His 

 song, to which 

 we need no in- 

 troduction, while 

 lacking in th. 

 general techni- 

 que and refine- 

 ment of the thrush's, is yet an inspira- 

 tion to us in the early spring as cheer- 

 ing and comforting as is the thrush's 

 hymns in June. 



MIGRATION. 



The subject of bird migration is in it- 

 self a most extensive one, and has given 

 rise to much discussion as to the cause 

 and character of the movement. While 

 it is not proposed to enter into any 

 lengthy discussion of the question or 

 elaborate any theories at the present 

 time, we could not consider our subject 

 dealt with without some reference to 

 the migratory habits of the groups un- 

 der discussion. It is a well-established 

 fact that for one reason or another the 

 great majority of our birds have accept- 

 ed the necessity of migration. With 

 some it is solely a matter of food supply, 

 while with others it is mainly a matter 

 of temperature; with a third class, how- 

 ever, neither of these causes can be said 

 to entirely regulate their movements and 

 their erratic peregrinations remain inex- 

 plainable save as individual or specific 

 eccentricities. These smaller forms it 

 will readily be understood, being physi- 

 cally less capable of combatting natural 

 enemies than would larger forms and 

 being persistently persecuted by these 

 enemies, have the dual question of safety 

 from enemies and provision of food sup- 

 ply to consider on their semi-annual 

 journeys. The wing area of different 

 birds, therefore, becomes a material fac- 

 tor in the movement. Blackbirds, being 

 stiong flyers and associating in immense 

 bands, are enabled to avoid or oppose 

 most of these enemies, while the swal- 

 lows, being very swift flyers, are able to 

 escape pursuers, so that time of move- 

 ment is not a material factor with them 

 and their migrations frequently continue 

 during the day. 



Other forms, as woodpeckers (where 

 migratory), finches and thrushes, being 

 usually strong of wing, occupy the day 

 in feeding, and as the shades of night 

 close down upon them a signal passes 

 from flock to flock and) they rise in a 

 body to a great height and continue their 

 flight, frequently for many hours under 

 cover of darkness. In the clear spring 

 or fall nights one can hear the tink of 

 the bobolink, the cheep of the sparrow, 

 or the whistle of the thrush, as the indi- 

 viduals keep in touch with the main 

 body of the flock, and we cannot listen 

 and understand these passing signals 

 without wishing these nocturnal aerial 

 feathered travellers god-speed. 



Favorable winds are a most import- 

 ant . factor in the movement. I have 

 watched eagerly for days for the return 

 of spring migrants which were due and 

 without a sign of their appearance until 

 a south wind arose, and it did not blow 

 long before it bore to my ears a cheep, a 

 peet or a whistle, and then I did not 

 need the morning's dawn to tell me that 

 the sparrows and thrushes were here. 



I have watched these same groups 

 huddle together in the brush-heaps to 

 avoid the first raw winds of autumn un- 

 til a favorable wind prevailed, and then 

 as I stood by the woodside at night I 

 would hear the signal passed, the 

 leaves would rustle, the calls seemed to 

 climb to the upper branches of the trees, 

 and in a few minutes the receding whis- 

 tle or cheep was all that was necessary 

 to remind me that they were gone again, 

 and that I must turn once more to the 

 jay, the nuthatch, the chickadee and the 

 downy woodpecker for my woodland 

 as;ociations and to the red poll and 

 snowflake for my field companions. 



The changing of winds and the falling 

 of rain unite to form the most disturb- 

 ing agent in bird migration, and while 

 the prevalence of opposing winds stops 

 migration almost entirely, it is not in 

 any manner as disturbing an agent as 

 the changing wind accompanied by rain. 

 ! This opposing factor causes the birds to 

 descend from the elevation and seek 

 shelter at the nearest point, resulting in 

 much confusion among the ranks. 



In the crossing of large bodies of wat- 

 er at these times many smaller varieties 

 and weaker flyers are overcome before 

 reaching shelter, and their dead drip- 

 ping bodies upon the shore tell all too 

 ~ad a ta'e of the tragic termination of 

 bcth spring and life journeys. At these 

 times lighthouses and other bright lights 



