1934-11-19 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

19, 1934,

FEATHERED IMMIGRANTS

W

OF ENGLAND

By E. M. NICHOLSON. XTHY is it that every nutumn and spring some millions of birds make journeys up to ton thousand milea in length rather than spend the whole year in the British Isles?

Many people will remember the experiment lost autumn of taking over Prussian storks which nor mally mlarate south-east and re- leasing them in the Ruhr, with the result that they failed to hit their proper route to Africa. An Americen ornithologist has Just published an necount of an evan more ambitious series of expèri ments, which tell us more, although they are not so spectacular,

Ho has set out to find exactly what it is that makes a country habitable for a bird at one time of the year and not at another. Obviously in some cases the food supply falls about this time of year, and birds relying on such a dict as winged, Insects cannot pick up a living during the chilly monthe. We used to imagine that cold itself was often fatal, until an experimenter succeeded in keep dog some fairly delicate migratory finches in a Canadian aviary with out ill effects at a temperature 52 degrees below zero Fahrenhaft.

The new American work shows quite plainly that for some birds at any rate the worst obstacle is the long cold winter night.

HARD TO KEEP WARM

During the houra of darkness amall birds, are not able to feed, and their weight and body tem perature drop considerably. Cold itself is not serious, but it puts

Tough Frank Richards of Los Angeles futa Them shoot 140 lb. Cannonball at him. He claims t keeps his weight down.

heavy demands on the body of a small bird, which has to be kept p to what we would consider

utside may be like. If long hours

|

Why is it worth while for birds which cannot stand our winter to make long journeys here for a few months every year?

MURDERED DRAMA

TELEVISION WILL BE A BLOW

HANDICAPS

IN PLENTY

Here, ngain, the diMculty of standing up to extremes or climatol seems to play a part. Getting excited, or cating, or moving about Thirty years ago, the theatre much, sends up the body tempera-was “dead”-killed by the music, ture of a bird to 112 degrees | hall; to-day the theatre was "dead", Fahrenheit or more-a tempera-killed by the cinema; thirty ture which would spell death for years hence it will be "dead"- most of us.

killed by television, said Mr. Jevan Brandon-Thomas, of the Brandon- The hotter the weather, the more Thomas Repertory Company, in an a bird's body temperature rises.address to members of the Scottish unless the bird keeps still. Thin Arts Club on the theatre, past, accounts for the well-known fact present, and future. that birds in warm climates do. He had no reason, however, to not sing or move about much in complain of the public Interest the heat of the day, so that Eng shown in the theatre as far as the lah people who are used to bird attendances at the Lyceum Theatre song and movement at all hours (where his company was present- often get a wrong impression thating Its thirtieth production this a place abroad is.birdless when season) were concerned. really it has plenty of birds,

Whenever there was a flourish-

While the northern days areling and interesting time in the long and warm, and the northern country there had been a goud. nights are short and not too cool, teatre. During the War, every- they have great attractions for thing stagnated. After the War, birds which are equipped to make the managers found they were the journey. Moreover, the north-making so much money they did ern summer gives a far largorot know what to do with it, and they fooled the public up to the what are needed to keep a bird would staad for anything. Mean- margin of foraging hours abovhilt. They thought the public alive, and so leaves it free to rear while, the cinema was presenting more young.

things to them in a pleasant way. In the theatre, they were at that! We know now a great deal about plays. Glasgow and Edinburgh.

time giving Imitations of London | when and where birds migrate. Manchester, Newcastle, and Hir except within the tropics, and we mingham became much nearer to are also getting a fairly clear idea Lomi

were much travelling WAM

WHERE THEY CO

Tralas

or what they gain by migrating. quicker and One of the most mysterious points cheaper. More people went up to outstanding is exactly what it la London, and saw more of the Lon- that pulls the trigger and sets don shows, and they would not migrant going. He may stand to stand for what they were getting gain by the journey, but he still in the provinces. needs an impulse to bestin it. How does innt impulse reach him?

REFUSED "YOUNG WOODLEY

There came a young fellow, Noet This is a question which we can. Cowart, one of the hardest workers not yel answer. We can, however, he ever met in his life, who startled Hay that birds have a powerful everybody's idea of what a play daily and seasonal rhythm of life. He went to New York, and starved should be. He had his fallures. which artificial Hght and heat, and

while. Everything the ability to fetch food from over-there for seas, have helped men to forget.ad been the result of his owa, that he had achieved since then Changes in the length

day, in light intensity. temperature and sof efforts and ability, and had been is. forth, have a powerful influence on the free of appalling opposition their way of fe, and even on their from the ring in London which:

controlled the theatres.. physical condition.

RESERVES OF ENERGY

Draiva'

He remembered Van cuming to him in Oxford za neři zako" [ing him if he read plays. He told Quite antall climatic changes him he did, and Van Druten gave which we hardly notice, may leadja play to him, which be gave to birds to pile up extraordinary his reader, who turned it down reserves of energy which have to and said what rubbish t was. be worked off in migration, in song, That play was "Young Woodley.". in fighting or play, or in rearing (Laughter.)

young. With a battery of com-1 He read everything himself now, patented instruments we are gradu- The plays he received were not all ally contriving to measure these bad. Nearly everybody had a good elimatic changes and to find

Dut

idea for a play. The trouble was

how they affect the nimble and de- that play-writing required a high, licute rhythm of different birds. technique. Ife could not under fever heat, whatever the weather! But the bird needs no instrument/stand why in the theatre one musi!

f darkness, or a snowfall, or hard to measure these things; he senses always look to London for new rost prevent a bird from getting them and responds to them direct lace in the theatre sense.

plays, London was a very small oed, the temperature of its bodying off wherever they tell him,

alls and it becomes torpid.

In September, 1981, this happen- d to thousands of Central Euro ean Awallows; many were plekel p by hand during the cold spell, nd some wore sent on south bu rain and aeroplane. This CX- lains why a bird such as the hentear, which can stond the ccasional cold snaps of a summer

Groenland perfectly well, finds

• necessary to go much further huth than the British Isles in

intor.

SURVIVAL OF FITTEST

In Greenland I have seen this ad other small birds active at alt ours in June, when it never gets ark. The ability to survive with at food for twelve sixteen burs at a low temperature may ake all the difference for a bird tween being able to winter in bgland or not.

or

and leaving the unfortunate scien- ist to plod along as, best he can in the wake.

AUSTRALIAN EFFICIENCY

45

People went to see their particu. lar stara, and plays were written

round these stars. The playsi without the stars did not seem the same and the stars often would! not leave London.

there

SMOKING AND LATE COMERS in the course of the discussion which followed, a question was put as to amoking in the theatre. Mr. Brandon-Thomas said there was a Brisbane is building what is de- theatre in England where it was scribed

the most modern rule that on Tuesdayя women's hospital in the world. should be no, smoking, and that

theatre wa Morning sunshine will be on night the

empty. every wing and every ward. The (Laughter.) He had been asked buliding itself will eliminate noise why they did not keep out late- and will be fitted with mechanical comers, and the reply was that if ventilation. Ante-natal

they did they would not cone at

(Laughter.)

When an apprentise cooper finishuo his form in England he must go through "the ordeal dry fire" being dropped into, a barrel of smoking, smouldering shavings, soused with water and then rolled about the room. Then he is a master of the craft and wiss in all its mysteries.

"YOUNG SIKI” NEEDS LEAD

BOXER SLATER TURNS THIEF

A well-known Liverpool boxer, known na "Young Siki." appeared in Court at, Liverpool, charged with stealing tend valued at 5.

He was arrested at Birmingham following a sueressful boxing coù-

test,

£20,000,000

FOR AIRCRAFT

LORD LONDONDERRY EXPLAINS PLAN

Lord Londonderry, Secretary for Air, speaking at Darlington recent- ly on air defence, said:

are

"The measures which we tahlug to expand the Royal Air It was stated in Court that he Force have no elernent of pante in falled to surrender ball, and them. warrant was issued. Nothing was "The additional expenditure over heard of him until an advertise ve years, including the present ment slowed that he was 8ghting Bnancial year for which provision

Al

The late King Alexander of Yugo Sinvin was responsible for the erection of this and other splendid "Young Peoples Homes", where the children of poor parents are givan training to fit them for responsibilities of lifu.

Birmingham. The Liverpool has aiready been made, will amount police phoned to Birmingham, and to £20.000,000 and will be so dis the boxer was arrested after his tributed as not unduly to embarrass contest and charged us Andrew Devine, with an addres the national finances."

in Coventry.

Referring to people who are cry. The police prosecutor stateding out for a vast that Devine went to Coventry to seroplanes immediately, he asked armament of work as a alater, following his remand on a lend stealing charge, for what crisis were they intended He obtained lead after his wife and how they were to be manned. saying she wanted to inspect it got the key to an empty house.

On the question of India's future will be provided, and the poorest

with a view to tenancy.

the said no one could deny that mother in Queensland will have A member complain that nt at

Devine's solicitor stated that it the vitality and the prosperity of the ante ellicient treatment as the recent performance by a London

WAS prisoner's first dishonest the British Empire had been the wealthiest.

company in Edinburgh half the

offence. He had a high reputa-result of the trust and confidence play was inaudible and the other tios in the Fing. half was in a strange language,

The Magistrates

which British policy had placed in without consonants. (Laughter.) Tevine with a caution.

its component parts.

service

The first baby to be born there will receive a silver cup. If twins, there will be two cups.

discharged

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