Florida.’’* This circumftance leads to a fufpicion, that the principal caufe (I will not, out of complaifance to any one, 
call it a neceffary inflin^l) which leads or impels thefe birds to migrate to the northward, is that they may make 
choice of a proper climate, abounding in their favourite food, to perform their amours, to build their nefts, and to 
rear their young. Much light might be thrown upon this curious fubjed,' if natural hiftory were cultivated in the 
United-States, with a portion of that innocent and ufeful zeal with which it is cultivated in Europe : with only a fmall 
portion of that ardent zeal which fo flrongly charaderizes the Americans in their purfuit of gain. But, as yet, 
little attention is paid to the ftudy of nature in the United-States. In our colleges, it is not taught as an indifpen- 
fable branch of polite or ufeful knowledge, but is obliged to yield its laurels to languages which are withered or dead, 
and to Itudies which are ufelefs or ignoble.f 
§. XIIL 
It has been fuppofed, that many of the birds which I have enumerated, pafs, on their return to the fouth, during 
the autumnal months, through the countries which are fituated to the w^eft of the great ranges of our mountains. 
That this is fometimes the cafe, I do not doubt: but it is not the general order of the migration of our birds. My 
opinion, indeed, is oppofed by the authority of fome very refpedable naturalifls, whofe fentiments deferve to be 
mentioned in this place. “ The birds (fays the late Mr. George Edwards), which pafs through the country north¬ 
ward in the fpring, being never obferved to return the fame way, Mr. Bartram fuppofes that they go to the fouthward 
in autumn by fome other paffage beyond their inland mountains.”! This notion is likewife adopted by Mr. Pennant. 
Speaking of the Motacilla vermivora, or Worm-eater, this able zoologill fays, “ It does not appear in Pemifyhania 
till Jidy^ in its paflage northward. Does not return the fame way; but is fuppofed to go beyond the mountains 
W'hich lie to the weft. This feems to be the cafe with all the tranfient vernal vifitants of Pennfyl-vaniaP^ In the 
above quotation, Mr. Edwards fays, the birds are ‘‘ never” obferved to return the fame way that they went. 
This is, certainly, a miftake. Our fwallows, which are migratory birds, as I think I have rendered very probable 
in the Appendix,|| are generally feen on their return fouthward, in the autumn, far to the eaft of the firft ranges of 
our mountains. But independently of the fwallows, the fame may be faid of many other fpecies of birds. Indeed, 
I believe it may confidently be faid, that moft of the paflenger-birds, which pafs by us, in the fpring, return, in the 
autumn, fouthward, the fame way they w'ent. This obfervation certainly applies to the Anas canadenfis (Wild- 
Goofe), the Colurnba migratoria (Wild-Pigeon), the Fringilla triftis (Yellow-Bird), Motacilla Sialis (Blue-Bird), 
Loxia Curviroftra (Crofsbill), Fringilla-(Hemp-Bird), and at ieaft fifty others, which are conjiantly obferved 
on their migrations fouthward, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia. Thefe autumnal flocks fometimes confift 
of many thoufands of individuals together; and it has been obferved, that birds of different fpecies fometimes mi¬ 
grate in the fame bodies. 
§. XIV. 
It muft not be imagined, that the birds which I have enumerated arrive uniformly, every year, at the times 
which are prefixed to their names, in the firft column. I have long been perfuaded, that the uniformity of the ar¬ 
rival of the migratory birds, in any given country, is not fo great as many naturalifts have imagined. The atten¬ 
tion which I have paid to this curious fubjedf in Pennfylvania, has convinced me, that my fufpicion was w^ell founded. 
The migration of birds is not a “ determinate inftinct,^” but an act of volition, or will. Hence, the feafons and 
* Travels, &c. Page 287, 
f I ever have been a friend to the ftudy of the two anelent languages, the Greek and the I.atin, which are taught in our fchools. They are abfolutely neceflary to 
the complete attainment of fome faiences, fuch as natural hiftory (including botany), and medicine; and I think with Erafmus, that a phyftcian Ihould be afhamed not 
to know them. But too much time is difiipated in the acquifition of thefe languages. If I do not greatly miftake, this truth begins to be acknowledged among us. 
Vidio mellora. If only one-fixth part of the time which is confumed in acquiring the Greek and Latin languages (particularly the former), were appropriated to the 
ftudy of natural hiftory, in lefs than twenty years, the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral productions of the United-States would be pretty well inveftigated. 
But wdiat, in the cultivation of a fcience fo extenfive, and fo difficult, can be expected from the labours of two or three Individuals, unaided by the public, and tra- 
melled by profeffional engagements and purfuits 
j Gleanings of Natural Hiftory, Part TI. P. 302. § Ardic Zoology Von. II. P. 100, loi. jj See Page 16. Dr. Adam Fergufon. 
