BY THE WAYSIDE 
63 
! 
is we know of the relative positions of 
;Lhe stars, I have no doubt that if we 
mild be unconsciously transferred to the 
outhern hemisphere and allowed to look 
it the unclouded sky at night, there 
vould be such an incongruity between 
, chat we were looking upon and the old 
picture, so many times photographed 
Upon our memory, that it would startle 
ls and perhaps breed in us the feeling 
hat we were lost or crazy. Now birds 
lave eyes which form pictures of what- 
ver stands’ before them as our eyes do, 
nd if we admit, as I think we must. 
/ 
hat the great law of repetition affects 
jj irds as it does us, I see no impossibility 
if 1 our night-flying migrants directing 
heir course, on clear nights, by the very 
tars in the heavens as the mariner does, 
ndeed it appears to me quite the easiest 
nd most natural thing to do. 
It has frequently been noted that on 
ark, cloudy nights, during the season 
I f migration, a heterogenous concourse 
f birds is heard over large towns and 
ities, the birds’ seeming to behave as if 
ley were lost. Lighthouses, too, have 
Iways proved very destructive to birds 
nring migration; and this destruction 
greatest, so far as we have been able 
> learn, on, if not confined to, cloudy 
ights. These cases appear to show that 
irds direct their courses at night by 
; hat they see, either in the heavens or 
i the ground. Having been once pretty 
loroughly lost myself, and knowing 
; hat resolution is required under such 
rcumstances to use the helm effectively, 
think I can realize how birds, on a very 
oudy night, approaching the lights of 
t great city looking like stars but in 
| ch incongruous places, might very eas- 
i 7 become bewildered and do some reek- 
I ss things. 
It is maintained by those best quali- 
|;d to judge, that the “homing” of 
geons is accomplished through a knowl- 
ge of landmarks gained solely through 
e sense of sight. Both Sir John Lub¬ 
* 
bock and George J. Romanes have ex¬ 
perimented critically with ants and bees 
to determine the “homing faculty” with 
them, and they agree that these insects 
. depend upon their knowledge of land¬ 
marks, gained through an acquaintance 
with the locality, to make their way 
home. There is not space here to enter 
into details as to how birds may use 
landmarks and celestial bodies in direct¬ 
ing their long flights; but to me, if we 
grant to the birds the power of memory 
and ability to observe which our knowl¬ 
edge of what birds do, appears to de- 
. mand, and admit that what is popularly 
denominated instinct is in reality inher¬ 
ited experience, the accomplishment of 
these tasks is not so mysterious after all. 
How to Study Birds in the Field. 
It is now the season when bird lovers 
should be most active in studying their 
fiiends, and a few notes of advice 
based on experience, may not come 
amiss. 
Birds appear much later around our 
dwellings than they do in less con¬ 
spicuous places. Hence if you want co 
see the early arrivals you must go to 
the park, or into the country. The 
best places are those near water and 
with plenty of bushes, trees, or reeds. 
A combination of all of these, such as 
can be found along almost any lake in 
Wisconsin, is the best. In going do 
not ask too many of your friends. In 
fact, it is best to go alone; and do not 
spend too much effort trying to follow 
the birds. They do not like bustle 
and disturbance. Find a favorable 
place, seek a comfortable spot that 
gives you a good outlook, and sit down. 
When you move, move slowly, calmly, 
without excitement. You will be sur¬ 
prised how close birds will come to 
you. 
About books I wrote last month. Of 
course you will want a field glass, al¬ 
though much can be done without it. 
