Migrations of Waterfowl in Autumn. 189 



severity of the seasons ; but taking them generally, I found 

 that, in common with such birds as breed in high latitudes, 

 they tarry longer on their way south in autumn than they do in 

 spring; indeed, in the case of the geese, although the main body 

 pushes to Southern Florida by the end of October, solitary 

 individuals, and even small flocks, may be seen in the open 

 parts of Canadian rivers throughout the winter, indeed a few 

 breed on the lakes. 



Looking at the map, we can readily suppose that flocks of 

 birds bound for Florida and the south could not obtain a 

 better starting-point than the projecting headlands of Labra- 

 dor, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia, from which, by keeping 

 the land on their right, they would scarcely fail to fetch the 

 former. The routes by which the majority proceed from the 

 Southern States to the temperate and sub- Arctic Regions, are, 

 however, not confined to the coasts alone. Although the 

 mallard, pintail, shoveller, gadwall, etc. etc., proceed to the 

 north in great numbers, but few, comparatively speaking, are 

 seen on the Atlantic coast, possibly for the reason suggested 

 by Baird,* that their routes may be further westward, or along 

 the great river valleys and the Appelachian ranges. Enormous 

 flights of golden plovers pass down the Bay of Fundy in 

 autumn. I have a well-authenticated record of a dense flock 

 which passed over the city of St. John like a cloud of locusts, 

 commencing at dark, and continuing throughout the greater 

 part of the night. It is rarely that they tarry beyond a day 

 or two at this season, unless through adverse winds, which 

 often send them inland ; indeed, the bird cannot afford to 

 loiter, seeing that, according to Baird,f the golden plover of 

 North America ranges over 90 to 95 of latitude twice an- 

 nually ! J The varieties of the European and American golden 



* "American Journal of Science," vol. xli. ; and Jones, op. cit. 



i Ibid., vol. xli., p. 32. 



% See Hind's " Naturalist in Bermuda " for many interesting data in 

 connection with the migratory movements of this and other American 

 species. 



