﻿70 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  While 
  many 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  can 
  undoubtedly 
  travel 
  the 
  whole 
  width 
  

   of 
  this 
  State 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  day, 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  most 
  of 
  

   them 
  journey 
  by 
  easy 
  stages, 
  often 
  stopping 
  to 
  feed 
  and 
  rest 
  by 
  the 
  way. 
  

   During 
  the 
  migration 
  season 
  individuals 
  of 
  different 
  species 
  are 
  often 
  seen 
  

   about 
  the 
  same 
  spot 
  for 
  several 
  days 
  before 
  they 
  continue 
  their 
  journey. 
  

   The 
  writer 
  has 
  noticed 
  this 
  occurrence 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  Fox 
  sparrow, 
  

   Lincoln 
  sparrow. 
  Hermit 
  thrush. 
  Northern 
  water-thrush, 
  Solitary 
  sand- 
  

   piper 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  species, 
  when 
  single 
  individuals 
  or 
  small 
  companies 
  

   could 
  be 
  found 
  for 
  a 
  week 
  or 
  more 
  at 
  certain 
  chosen 
  spots 
  under 
  circum- 
  

   stances 
  which 
  proved 
  beyond 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  same 
  birds 
  were 
  seen 
  each 
  

   day. 
  A 
  further 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  warm 
  weather 
  which 
  brought 
  them 
  

   or 
  the 
  arrival 
  of 
  a 
  fresh 
  low 
  center 
  with 
  southwest 
  breeze 
  was 
  usually 
  the 
  

   signal 
  for 
  their 
  departure. 
  But 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  definite 
  means 
  of 
  determining 
  

   how 
  long 
  the 
  next 
  stage 
  of 
  a 
  bird's 
  journey 
  may 
  be. 
  Professor 
  Cooke 
  has 
  

   shown 
  that 
  the 
  average 
  advance 
  of 
  such 
  birds 
  as 
  the 
  Oriole 
  as 
  a 
  species 
  is 
  

   little 
  more 
  than 
  25 
  miles 
  per 
  day, 
  but 
  it 
  may 
  often 
  be 
  that 
  the 
  last 
  flight 
  

   of 
  an 
  individual, 
  and 
  even 
  its 
  average 
  flight 
  while 
  migrating, 
  is 
  con- 
  

   siderably 
  greater. 
  Most 
  species 
  of 
  our 
  common 
  birds 
  fly 
  at 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  30 
  

   to 
  40 
  miles 
  per 
  hour, 
  and 
  many 
  like 
  pigeons, 
  ducks, 
  plover 
  and 
  snipe 
  at 
  the 
  

   rate 
  of 
  50 
  to 
  70 
  miles 
  per 
  hour, 
  and 
  when 
  under 
  way 
  they 
  undoubtedly 
  

   proceed 
  for 
  several 
  hours 
  without 
  rest. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  smaller, 
  more 
  timid 
  birds, 
  migrate 
  by 
  night. 
  This 
  is 
  especi- 
  

   ally 
  true 
  of 
  species 
  which 
  live 
  habitually 
  under 
  cover 
  of 
  woods 
  and 
  thickets, 
  

   like 
  thrushes, 
  warblers, 
  vireos, 
  wrens, 
  rails 
  and 
  sparrows. 
  Their 
  calls 
  

   are 
  often 
  heard 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  passing 
  overhead 
  and 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  by 
  

   looking 
  through 
  a 
  telescope 
  or 
  field 
  glass 
  focused 
  on 
  the 
  moon 
  as 
  they 
  cross 
  

   in 
  front 
  of 
  its 
  bright 
  surface. 
  Rains, 
  or 
  high 
  head 
  winds, 
  cause 
  them 
  to 
  

   descend 
  and 
  so 
  the 
  country 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  overtaken 
  by 
  the 
  storm 
  will 
  

   be 
  filled 
  with 
  fresh 
  arrivals 
  in 
  the 
  morning. 
  The 
  Woodcock 
  and 
  Whip- 
  

   poor-will, 
  which 
  are 
  largely 
  nocturnal 
  in 
  habits, 
  perform 
  the 
  migratory 
  

   flight 
  entirely 
  at 
  night. 
  Species 
  like 
  the 
  hawks, 
  blackbirds, 
  swallows, 
  

   bluebirds 
  and 
  robins 
  which 
  are 
  accustomed 
  to 
  wide 
  flights 
  across 
  the 
  open 
  

  

  