380 ^HE ZOOLOGIST. 



daily throughout September. Sometimes the flights consist wholly of young 

 and at others of old birds. Now and again a few Martins accompany them, 

 and even a Sand Martin or two, but there is always a remarkable homogeneity 

 in the separate flights. Considered with regard to the faculty whereby the 

 phenomena of migration are performed, it is doubtful whether much progress 

 has been made since attention was called to this subject by Prof. Newton 

 twenty years ago in his British Association Address, " On certain neglected 

 subjects of ornithological investigation " (q. v. Zool. 1875, pp. 4640-41, as 

 also the admirable article " Migration," in his ' Dictionary of Birds,' pp. 547- 

 571). In another direction, however, British ornithologists have employed 

 themselves with some diligence — but with what degree of wisdom remains 

 to be determined. One cannot but feel a little disappointed in the deductions 

 of Dr. von Middendorff ('Die Isepiptesen Russlands, 1855') and Professor 

 Palmen (* Om Foglarnes flyttningsvagar, 1874'), although it would not be 

 easy to overrate their services in suggesting and stimulating research. — 

 W. C. J. Ruskin Butterfield (St. Leonards-on-Sea). 



[Here, again, we would suggest a comparison of the observations above 

 referred to with those published by Herr Gatke, who gives reasons (p. 66) 

 for " the wide divergency between the results of his own observations and 

 those arrived at by Dr. von Middendoiff. An English translation of Prof. 

 Palmen 's ' Report on the Migration of Birds,' submitted to the second 

 International Ornithological Congress in Budapest, 1891, and full of 

 suggestive information, is printed, with a map, in the Smithsonian Report, 

 1893, pp. 375— 396.— Ed.] 



Escape of a Caged Eagle. — On Oct. 2nd a Golden Eagle in the 

 Zoological Gardens at Bristol contrived by an accident to make its escape. 

 It was in an open-air cage with two other eagles, and on the entry of the 

 keeper it flew up to the wire that formed the roof, and hung from the netting 

 with its claws. The wire being old and the bird heavy, several of the meshes 

 broke and left a large hole, through which, to the astonishment and dismay 

 of the keeper, the eagle quickly managed to escape. It flew over the river 

 towards the Leigh Woods, and the head keeper, Mr. Blunsden, followed in 

 that direction. He passed through Failand and all round the grounds of 

 Sir Cecil Miles, but without finding the bird. That it was afterwards seen 

 over St. Philip's is probably accounted for by the fact that there was still a 

 very high wind prevailing at the time, and that the bird after its captivity 

 would not have the strength to fly against it for any great length of time. 

 There is little hope that the bird, which was a female, and had been 

 presented to the Gardens by Sir Greville Smyth, will be captured alive. 

 Should any of our readers hear shortly of a Golden Eagle being shot or 

 trapped, it would be well to ascertain whether it is the bird which has so 

 lately made its escape, bearing traces of confinement, and if so, to report it 

 to the Secretary at the Zoological Gardens, Bristol. 



