MIGRATION, the passage or removal of a thing out of one place into another.
MIGRATION of Birds.—It has been generally believed, that many different kinds of birds annually pass from one country to another, and spend the summer or the winter where it is most agreeable to them; and that even the birds of our own island will seek the most distant southern regions of Africa, when directed by a peculiar instinct to leave their own country. It has
Migration. long been an opinion pretty generally received, that swallows reside during the winter-season in the warm southern regions; and Mr Adanson particularly relates his having seen them at Senegal when they were obliged to leave this country. But besides the swallow, Mr Pennant enumerates many other birds which migrate from Britain at different times of the year, and are then to be found in other countries; after which they again leave these countries, and return to Britain. The reason of these migrations he supposes to be a defect of food at certain seasons of the year, or the want of a secure asylum from the persecution of man during the time of courtship, incubation, and nutrition. The following is his list of the migrating species.
1. Crow. Of this genus, the hooded crow migrates regularly with the woodcock. It inhabits North Britain the whole year: a few are said annually to breed on Dartmoor, in Devonshire. It breeds also in Sweden and Austria: in some of the Swedish provinces it only shifts its quarters, in others it resides throughout the year. Our author is at a loss for the summer retreat of those which visit us in such numbers in winter, and quit our country in the spring; and for the reason why a bird, whose food is such that it may be found at all seasons in this country, should leave us.
2. Cuckoo. Disappears early in autumn; the retreat of this and the following bird is quite unknown to us.
3. Wryneck. Is a bird that leaves us in the winter. If its diet be ants alone, as several assert, the cause of its migration is very evident. This bird disappears before winter, and revisits us in the spring a little earlier than the cuckoo.
4. Hoopoe. Comes to England but by accident: Mr Pennant once indeed heard of a pair that attempted to make their nest in a meadow at Selborne, Hampshire, but were frightened away by the curiosity of people. It breeds in Germany.
5. Grouse. The whole tribe, except the quail, lives here all the year round: that bird either leaves us, or else retires towards the sea-coasts.
6. Pigeons. Some few of the ring-doves breed here; but the multitude that appears in the winter is so disproportioned to what continue here the whole year, as to make it certain that the greatest part quit the country in the spring. It is most probable they go to Sweden to breed, and return from thence in autumn; as Mr Ekmark informs us they entirely quit that country before winter. Multitudes of the common wild pigeons also make the northern retreat, and visit us in winter; not but numbers breed in the high cliffs in all parts of this island. The turtle also probably leaves us in the winter, at least changes its place, removing to the southern counties.
7. Stare. Breeds here. Possibly several remove to other countries for that purpose, since the produce of those that continue here seems unequal to the clouds of them that appear in winter. It is not unlikely that many migrate into Sweden, where Mr Berger observes they return in spring.
8. Thrushes. The fieldfare and the redwing breed and pass their summers in Norway and other cold countries; their food is berries, which abounding in our kingdoms, tempts them here in the winter. These two and the Roylston crow are the only land-birds that re-
gularly and constantly migrate into England, and do Migration. not breed here. The hawinch and crossbill come here at such uncertain times as not to deserve the name of birds of passage.
9. Chatterer. The chatterer appears annually about Edinburgh in flocks during winter; and feeds on the berries of the mountain-ash. In South Britain it is an accidental visitant.
10. Grosbeaks. The grosbeak and crossbill come here but seldom; they breed in Austria. The pine grosbeak probably breeds in the forests of the Highlands of Scotland.
11. Buntings. All the genus inhabits England throughout the year; except the greater brambling, which is forced here from the north in very severe seasons.
12. Finches. All continue in some parts of these kingdoms, except the finkin, which is an irregular visitant, said to come from Russia. The linnets shift their quarters, breeding in one part of this island, and remove with their young to others. All finches feed on the seeds of plants.
13. Larks, flycatchers, wagtails, and warblers. All of these feed on insects and worms; yet only part of them quit these kingdoms; though the reason of migration is the same to all. The nightingale, black-cap, fly-catcher, willow-wren, wheat-eat, and white-throat, leave us before winter, while the small and delicate golden-crested wren braves our severest frosts. The migrants of this genus continue longest in Great Britain in the southern counties, the winter in those parts being later than in those of the north; Mr Stillingfleet having observed several wheat-eats in the isle of Purbeck on the 18th of November. As these birds are incapable of very distant flights, Spain, or the south of France, is probably their winter-asylum.
14. Swallows and goat-fucker. Every species disappears at the approach of winter.
Of the vast variety of water-fowl that frequent Great Britain, it is amazing to reflect how few are known to breed here: the cause that principally urges them to leave this country, seems to be not merely the want of food, but the desire of a secure retreat. Our country is too populous for birds so shy and timid as the bulk of these are: when great part of our island was a mere waste, a tract of woods and fen, doubtless many species of birds (which at this time migrate) remained in security throughout the year.— Egrets, a species of heron now scarce known in this island, were in former times in prodigious plenty; and the crane, that has totally forsaken this country, bred familiarly in our marshes: their place of incubation, as well as of all other cloven-footed water-fowl (the heron excepted), being on the ground, and exposed to every one. As rural economy increased in this country, these animals were more and more disturbed; at length, by a series of alarms, they were necessitated to seek, during the summer, some lonely safe habitation.
On the contrary, those that build or lay in the almost inaccessible rocks that impend over the British seas, breed there still in vast numbers, having little to fear from the approach of mankind: the only disturb-
Migration—ance they meet with in general being from the desperate attempts of some few to get their eggs.
15. Herons. The white heron is an uncommon bird, and visits us at uncertain seasons; the common kind and the bittern never leave us.
16. Curlews. The curlew breeds sometimes on our mountains; but, considering the vast flights that appear in winter, it is probable that the greater part retire to other countries: the whimbrel breeds on the Grampian hills, in the neighbourhood of Invercauld.
17. Snipes. The woodcock breeds in the moist woods of Sweden, and other cold countries. Some snipes breed here, but the greatest part retire elsewhere; as do every other species of this genus.
18. Sandpipers. The lapwing continues here the whole year; the ruff breeds here, but retires in winter; the redshank and sandpiper breed in this country, and reside here. All the others absent themselves during summer.
19. Plovers and oyster-catcher. The long-legged plover and sandpiper visit us only in winter; the dot-trel appears in spring and in autumn; yet, what is very singular, we do not find it breeds in south Britain. The oyster-catcher lives with us the whole year. The Norfolk plover and seafowl breed in England. The green plover breeds on the mountains of the north of England, and on the Grampian hills.
We must here remark, that every species of the genera of curlews, woodcocks, sandpipers, and plovers, that forsake us in the spring, retire to Sweden, Poland, Prussia, Norway, and Lapland, to breed: as soon as the young can fly, they return to us again, because the frosts which set in early in those countries totally deprive them of the means of subsisting; as the dryness and hardness of the ground, in general, during our summer, prevent them from penetrating the earth with their bills, in search of worms, which are the natural food of these birds. Mr Ekmark speaks thus of the retreat of the whole tribe of cloven-footed water fowl out of his country (Sweden) at the approach of winter; and Mr Klein gives much the same account of those of Poland and Prussia.
20. Rails and gallinules. Every species of these two genera continue with us the whole year; the land-rail excepted, which is not seen here in winter. It likewise continues in Ireland only during the summer-months; when they are very numerous, as Mr Smith tells us in the History of Waterford, p. 336. Great numbers appear in Anglesea the latter end of May; it is supposed that they pass over from Ireland, the passage between the two islands being but small. As we have instances of these birds lighting on ships in the channel and the Bay of Biscay, we may conjecture their winter-quarters to be in Spain.
21. Phalaropes. Visit us but seldom; their breeding place is Lapland, and other arctic regions.
22. Grebes. The great-crested grebe, the black and white grebe, and little grebe, breed with us, and never migrate; the others visit us accidentally, and breed in Lapland.
23. Avocet. Breed near Fosdike in Lincolnshire;
but quit their quarters in winter. They are then shot Migration—in different parts of the kingdom, which they visit, not regularly, but accidentally.
24. Auks and guillemots. The great auk or pinguin sometimes breeds in St Kilda. The auk, the guillemot, and puffin, inhabit most of the maritime cliffs of Great Britain, in amazing numbers, during summer. The black guillemot breeds in the Bass Isle, and in St Kilda, and sometimes in Llandidno rocks. We are at a loss for the breeding place of the other species; neither can we be very certain of the winter residence of any of them, excepting of the lesser guillemot and black-billed auk, which, during winter, visit in vast flocks the Firth of Forth.
25. Divers. These chiefly breed in the lakes of Sweden and Lapland, and in some countries near the pole; but some of the red-throated divers, the northern and the imber, may breed in the north of Scotland and its isles.
26. Terns. Every species breeds here; but leaves us in the winter.
27. Petrels. The fulmar breeds in the Isle of St Kilda, and continues there the whole year except September and part of October: the shearwater visits the Isle of Man in April; breeds there; and, leaving it in August or the beginning of September, disperses over all parts of the Atlantic ocean. The stormfinch is seen at all distances from land on the same vast watery tract; nor is ever found near the shore except by some very rare accident, unless in the breeding season. Mr Pennant found it on some little rocky isles, off the north of Skie. It also breeds in St Kilda. He also suspects that it nests on the Blasquet Isles off Kerry, and that it is the grounder of Mr Smith.
28. Mergansers. This whole genus is mentioned among the birds that fill the Lapland lakes during summer. Mr Pennant has seen the young of the red-breasted in the north of Scotland: a few of these, and perhaps of the goosanders, may breed there.
29. Ducks. Of the numerous species that form this genus, we know of few that breed here: The swan and goose, the shield-duck, the eider-duck, a few shovellers, gargaries, and teals, and a very small portion of the wild ducks.
The rest contribute to form that amazing multitude of water-fowl that annually repair from most parts of Europe to the woods and lakes of Lapland and other arctic regions, there to perform the functions of incubation and nutrition in full security. They and their young quit their retreat in September, and disperse themselves over Europe. With us they make their appearance the beginning of October; circulate first round our shores; and, when compelled by severe frost, betake themselves to our lakes and rivers. Of the web-footed fowl there are some of hardier constitutions than others: these endure the ordinary winters of the more northern countries; but when the cold reigns there with more than common rigour, they repair for shelter to these kingdoms: this regulates the appearance of some of the diver kind, as also of the wild swans, the swallow-tailed shield-duck, and the different sorts of goosanders which then visit our coasts. Barentz found the barnacles with their nests in great numbers in Nova Zembla. (Collett. Voy. Dutch East-India Company, 8vo. 1703, p. 19.) Cluvis, in his Exer. 368. also
Migration. also observes, that the Dutch discovered them on the rocks of that country and in Waygate Straits. They, as well as the other species of wild-goose, go very far north to breed, as appears from the histories of Greenland and Spitzbergen, by Eggede and Grantz. These birds seem to make Iceland a resting place, as Horrebow observes: few continue there to breed, but only visit that island in the spring, and after a short stay retire still further north.
30. Corcorants. The corcorant and shag breed on most of our high rocks: the gannet in some of the Scotch isles, and on the coast of Kerry: the two first continue on our shores the whole year. The gannet disperses itself all round the seas of Great Britain, in pursuit of the herring and pilchard, and even as far as the Tagus to prey on the sardina.
But of the numerous species of fowl here enumerated, it may be observed how very few intrust themselves to us in the breeding season, and what a distant flight they make to perform the first great dictate of nature.
There seems to be scarcely any but what we have traced to Lapland, a country of lakes, rivers, swamps, and alps, covered with thick and gloomy forests, that afford shelter during summer to these fowls, which in winter disperse over the greatest part of Europe. In those arctic regions, by reason of the thickness of the woods, the ground remains moist and penetrable to the woodcocks, and other slender-billed fowl: and for the web-footed birds, the waters afford larvae innumerable of the tormenting knat. The days there are long; and the beautiful meteorous nights indulge them with every opportunity of collecting so minute a food: whilst mankind is very sparingly scattered over that vast northern waste.
Why then should Linnæus, the great explorer of these rude deserts, be amazed at the myriads of water-fowl that migrated with him out of Lapland? which exceeded in multitude the army of Xerxes; covering, for eight whole days and nights, the surface of the river Calix! His partial observation as a botanist, would confine their food to the vegetable kingdom, almost denied to the Lapland waters; inattentive to a more plenteous table of insect food, which the all-bountiful Creator had spread for them in the wilderness. It may be remarked, that the lakes of mountainous rocky countries in general are destitute of plants: few or none are seen on those of Switzerland; and Linnæus makes the same observation in respect to those of Lapland; having, during his whole tour, discovered only a single specimen of a lemna trifolia, or "ivy-leaved duck's meat," Flora Lap. no 470.; a few of the scirpus lacustris, or "bullrush," no 18.; the alopeurus geniculatus, or "flete foxtail-grass," no 38.; and the ranunculus aquatilis, no 234.; which are all he enumerates in his Prolegomena to that excellent performance.
Under the article SWALLOW will be found the principal arguments for and against the migration of swallows. Here we shall give a short abstract of the arguments used by the Hon. Daines Barrington against the migration of birds in general, from a paper published by him in the 62d volume of the Philosophical Transactions. This gentleman denies that any well-attested instances can be produced of this supposed mi-
gration; which, he thinks, if there were any such periodical flight, could not possibly have escaped the frequent observation of seamen. It has indeed been asserted that birds of passage become invisible in their flight, because they rise too high in the air to be perceived, and because they choose the night for their passage. The author, however, expresses his doubts "whether any bird was ever seen to rise to a greater height than perhaps twice that of St Paul's cross;" and he further endeavours to show, that the extent of some of these supposed migrations (from the northern parts of Europe, for instance, to the line) is too great to be accounted for, by having recourse to the argument founded on a nocturnal passage.
The author next recites, in a chronological order, all the instances that he has been able to collect, of birds having been actually seen by mariners when they were crossing a large extent of sea; and he endeavours to show that no stress can be laid on the few casual observations of this kind that have been produced in support of the doctrine of a regular and periodical migration.
Mr Barrington afterwards proceeds to invalidate M. Adanson's celebrated observation with respect to the migration of the swallow in particular, and which has been considered by many as perfectly decisive of the present question. He endeavours to show that the four swallows which that naturalist caught, on their settling upon his ship, on the 6th of October at about the distance of 50 leagues from the coast of Senegal, and which he supposes to have been then proceeding from Europe to pass the winter in Africa, could not be true European swallows; or, if they were, could not have been on their return from Europe to Africa. His objections are founded principally on some proofs which he produces of M. Adanson's want of accuracy on this subject, which has led him, in the present instance, to mistake two African species of the swallow-tribe, described and engraved by Brisson, for European swallows, to which they bear a general resemblance; or granting even that they were European swallows, he contends, that they were flitting from the Cape de Verd Islands to the coast of Africa; "to which short flight, however, they were unequal, and accordingly fell into the sailor's hands." See the article SWALLOW.—We shall here only add, in opposition to the remarks of Mr Barrington, the following * Natural Observations of the Rev. Mr White * in a letter to Mr Pennant on this subject.
"We must not (says he) deny migration in general; because migration certainly does subsist in some places, as my brother in Andalusia has fully informed me. Of the motions of these birds he has ocular demonstration, for many weeks together, both spring and fall: during which periods myriads of the swallow kind traverse the Straits from north to south, and from south to north, according to the season. And these vast migrations consist not only of hirundines, but of bee-birds, hoopoes, oro pendolos, or golden thrushes, &c. &c. and also of many of our soft-billed summer birds of passage; and moreover of birds which never leave us, such as all the various sorts of hawks and kites. Old Belon, 200 years ago, gives a curious account of the incredible armies of hawks and kites which he saw in the spring-time traversing the Thra-
Migration. eian Bosphorus from Asia to Europe. Besides the above mentioned, he remarks, that the procession is swelled by whole troops of eagles and vultures.
"Now it is no wonder that birds residing in Africa should retreat before the sun as it advances, and retire to milder regions, and especially birds of prey, whose blood being heated with hot animal food, are more impatient of a sultry climate: but then I cannot help wondering why kites and hawks, and such hardy birds as are known to defy all the severity of England, and even of Sweden and all north Europe, should want to migrate from the south of Europe, and be dissatisfied with the winters of Andalusia.
"It does not appear to me that much stress may be laid on the difficulty and hazard that birds must run in their migrations, by reason of vast oceans, cross winds, &c. : because, if we reflect, a bird may travel from England to the equator without launching out and exposing itself to boundless seas, and that by crossing the water at Dover and again at Gibraltar. And I with the more confidence advance this obvious remark, because my brother has always found that some of his birds, and particularly the swallow kind, are very sparing of their pains in crossing the Mediterranean: for when arrived at Gibraltar, they do not,
———— "rang'd in figure, wedge their way,
———— "and set forth
"Their airy caravan high over seas
"Flying, and over lands with mutual wing
"Easing their flight." MILTON.
but scout and hurry along in little detached parties of six or seven in a company; and sweeping low, just over the surface of the land and water, direct their course to the opposite continent at the narrowest passage they can find. They usually slope across the bay to the south-west, and so pass over opposite to Tangier, which it seems is the narrowest space.
"In former letters we have considered whether it was probable that woodcocks in moon-shiny nights cross the German ocean from Scandinavia. As a proof that birds of less speed may pass that sea, considerable as it is, I shall relate the following incident, which, though mentioned to have happened so many years ago, was strictly matter of fact:—As some people were shooting in the parish of Trotton, in the county of Sussex, they killed a duck in that dreadful winter 1708-9, with a silver collar about its neck (I have read a like anecdote of a swan), on which were engraved the arms of the king of Denmark. This anecdote the rector of Trotton at that time has often told to a near relation of mine; and, to the best of my remembrance, the collar was in the possession of the rector.
"At present I do not know any body near the seaside that will take the trouble to remark at what time of the moon woodcocks first come. One thing I used to observe when I was a sportsman, that there were times in which woodcocks were so sluggish and sleepy that they would drop again when flushed just before the spaniels, nay just at the muzzle of a gun that had been fired at them: whether this strange laziness was the effect of a recent fatiguing journey, I shall not presume to say.
"Nightingales not only never reach Northumber-
land and Scotland, but also, as I have been always told, St. Miguel, Devonshire and Cornwall. In those two last counties we cannot attribute the failure of them to the want of warmth: the defect in the west is rather a presumptive argument that these birds come over to us from the continent at the narrowest passage, and do not stroll so far westward."