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MIGRATION OF BIRDS 
together for the journey, each large bird took one or more 
of its smaller brethren on its back, and so conveyed them 
to their winter quarters. The story is very pretty, but hardly 
correct. We now know that even the smallest of migrants 
depends on its own powers of flight to carry it from one country 
to another. 
The Egyptian peasant still believes that the Cranes and 
Storks carry a living load. 
It is not many years ago that the annual disappearance 
of certain species of birds from England was put down to 
the fact that they hibernated during the winter months, as do 
certain rodents. Specimens even were produced of birds — 
such as swallows — in more or less a torpid state, as evidence in 
support of the supposition ; but it was recognised that all were 
birds in poor condition, which through injury or weakness 
had not been in a fit state to travel with their fellows when 
the time of migration arrived, and, being unable to procure 
a sufficiency of food, suffered accordingly. 
The supposition, of course, is false ; but even nowadays 
one sees notices in the papers that birds have been found 
hibernating ! 
The autumnal migration of birds is well recognised by a 
certain class of people in the north of France, Belgium, and 
Germany. These folk are professional trappers and netters, 
and, knowing the favourite routes by which hundreds of birds 
pass, set their nets where the birds are known to feed, and so 
destroy hundreds — nay thousands ! — of migrants to supply the 
markets with food which is totally unnecessary. 
Classes of Migrants . — Migrants may be divided for con- 
venience into three classes : Local, Partial, and Passage. 
The first may be taken to represent birds which are resident 
in a country, but which migrate to various parts of that country 
for one reason or another, such, for example, as search for food, 
or for nesting purposes. These, strictly speaking, should not 
be classed as true migrants. An example of this group is the 
Curlew, which during the winter is found on the coast, but in 
early spring wanders to the hills and moorlands, particularly 
of Scotland. Another example is the Snow Bunting, which 
breeds in the north of Scotland and comes south in winter. 
