210 BULLETIN OF WISCONSIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VOL. 2. NO. 4 
fact that, while many species of birds arrived together on the same 
night, and mingled indiscriminately in the neighboring woods 
during the following day, they did not invariably depart together 
nor in the same direction. This leads me to believe," he says 
further, ''that similar places along every route constitute what 
may be called stations or points of departure" (53). Field ob- 
servations about Madison show results that are very similar. A 
careful study of the movements of the tree sparrow and the slate- 
colored junco was made during the spring of 1900. Their haunts 
were visited each morning on the eastern border of Lake Wingra 
and on the University Drive along Lake Mendota. Each day 
there was either an increase or a decrease and it was plainly notice- 
able that there were several sets of individuals intermingled. 
From their actions it is quite easy to distinguish those that arrive 
the preceding night from those that w^ere there the day before. 
These observations, however, would seem to indicate that such 
points of departure are not limited to promontories extending into 
the sea, points of timber bordering extensive plains or the ex- 
tremity of mountain ranges, where the migrating tide hesitates 
before venturing on the dangerous stage ahead, as has been suj:^- 
,2rested by Dr. Brewster (54), and previously, in 1846, by T. F. 
Naumann (55). These investigations show that such stations 
may occur almost anywhere along a migratory route rather than 
at certain limited points. 
Birds do not fly to some desired resting place in one night and 
then pursue their flight to another the next night, nor do they 
necessarily fly throughout the entire night and then stop at the 
first convenient place in the morning. The simple truth here is 
that birds fly as far during- one night as thev find convenient, the 
distance being determined by immediate environmental influences. 
In the observations made at Beloit there were certain times when 
there seemed to be an undue proportion of birds so close to the 
telescope that thev appeared out of focus. The directions of 
fli2"ht of these individuals as illustrated by plates IV-VII are 
entirelv out of keeping with the general course. A conclusion 
suggests itself here that these birds had departed from the migrat- 
ing: stream overhead and w^ere seeking suitable resting places. 
53. Brewster. Bull. Xiitt. Ornitli. Club. No. 1. pa^e 13. 
54. Ibid. 
55. Hist. Review, p. 180. 
