VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1922, Page 2

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

ADDRESS ON MIGRATORY BIRDS. At, the fortnightly meeting of the Victoria League on Monday evening last, a most interesting paper nn "Som® wavs of migratory birds” was civen by Dr. Home. The most Interesting point about these birds is that they should every year leave one country nnd co many thousands of miles across the sea to another country, where they breed, and then return nftor the breeding season to their home. Why should a bird such as the miaka go every vear from New Zealand to England and to Siberia, a journey as taken by the birds of some 12 006 miles, yet every vear these birds gather in countless thousands at the far north of the Dominion in the last week in March and then fir north, arriving in England on April 17. This date Is punetuallv kent. so Dr Home was informed by, an ornithologist In Christchurch. Hampshire, who has met his feathered friends for many yeaps A curious thing is that when the young birds are fully fledged and able to fly they are the first to return, the older birds staying '•tfer they have gone and moulting before they return. How .do the young birds find their wrv back 12.000 miles to New Zealand? _ The cuckoo, a bird about which the speaker had nothing good to say, is another migi'nnt, both the New Zealand variety and the wellVmown English ouckoo. Not only does . the cuckoo lay its egg in another bird’s nest and then leave it to its foster parent, but the lady cuckoo is a confirmed nolvandrist and has five nr six husbands. Most, birds, however, have r»’-«at affection fnr their young, and many-of them have strictlv legal marriages, that is the union of male and female for life to the exclusion of all others. The nightingale, another migrant, has one mate during the season, and in winter the two separate and th/n join each other in the beginning of spring in a succession of honeymoons. , The puffin, another migrant, has some funnv ways. Ho spends the summer, the breeding season. In some northern country such as England, where he feeds on shell fish, and to °*pt them grows a hard bill like a narrot. He snends the northern winter thousands of miles sway, perhaps around Cape Horn, where he | feeds on fish, and for that purpose he grows a flat duck-1 Ike bill. I The sneaker gave other interesting details i about the migratory birds, assisted by some I very well drawn and painted reproductions- of New Zealand migrants, prepared by Mr. Brad- ! bury. Dr. Home snnke of the wonderful eyesight possessed by the hawk, which can see from a great height an object on the ground for which from the same height a human being would ! need a telescope, and would then probably not see it. Another interesting thing the leci turer mentioned was that when pigeons were liiey sighted Parttutu, for which they at once i liberated at the Mountain House they flew : round in an aimless fashion for a time, until irndo a direct flight. Apart from this paper the musical items were an excellent concert in themselves. Mr. Fredric and Mr. Brooker gave several songs nnd were In good voice, nnd Mr. Bree and his talented family gave several delightful instrumental Items for stringed and wind instruments, and Miss Bree also sang. These items were very much appreciated. q’hero was a good attendance, but if the rapmh°rs of the league knew what excellent, nrogrammes wore given on these Monday even- ■ i:igs there would be a much larger attendance. ' The next evening for (meeting is Monday, September 2">. when Mr. Valentine, senior inspector of schools, will give a paper on Westland. Westland is one of our most historic provinces and most, interesting from the scenic and geological point of view.