80 BRITISH BIRDS. 



the streets of Brighton ; their cries are incessant, evidently for the purpose 

 of keeping together. Without ascribing a supernatural power to birds, which 

 we cannot understand, amounting to superstition in the believer, it is a fact 

 that they can see in a way which man does not, unless aided by science. In 

 the first place, from a lofty elevation even man can discern to a much greater 

 distance than when on the earth — for instance, when in a balloon. In the 

 ' Nile Tributaries,' by Sir Samuel Baker, ch. xix. p. 493, he says: — "The 

 atmosphere contains regular strata of birds of prey ; each species keeps to its 

 own particular elevation : No. 1, the Black-and- White Crow, is never far from 

 the ground ; No. 2, the common Buzzard ; No. 3, the Red-faced Vulture ; 

 No. 4, the large Bare-throated Vulture ; No. 5, the Marabou Stork, sometimes 

 accompaniedby the Adjutant." The larger birds require to look further and 

 ascend higher. Certain species see at night ; otherwise, being nocturnal 

 feeders, how could they find any thing to eat. But it is not at night, or high 

 in the air only, that their vision is of a marvellous character. On the 14th 

 Oct. 1859, I lent a cock Siskin as a call-bird, and watched the effect. 

 Assisted by some remarkably sharp eyes in addition to my own, not a bird 

 could be seen in the air : of a sudden the Siskin called ; and like a shot 

 descended, from an immense height, quite out of sight, a wild Siskin straight 

 into the net and was caught. Next day six Siskins came down at once. Of 

 course I have been present frequently at this kind of thing ; but I always like 

 to give chapter and verse. Now the first wild Siskin mentioned was the 

 second one caught that season ; for they do not come here every year ; but 

 the little bird from his place on the ground was able to discover high up in 

 the air what we could not, though intently on the look-out. He called his 

 friends. This was not chance on his part ; it was design : he called at the 

 right time ; he saw the wild bird. 



Hence 1 say that birds in migration have the benefit of superior vision ; 

 they see their way. In the ' Arabian Nights Entertainments ' mention is made 

 of the speaking bird in a cage, which no sooner began to warble than he was 

 surrounded by Nightingales, Chaffinches, Larks, Linnets, Goldfinches, and 



