4. Scatter food in winter. In dry regions and in hot weather keep a shallow tin vessel containing water on the roof of an outhouse, or in an out-of-the-way place, for shy birds. 5. Do not wear feathers obtained by the killing of birds. What feathers are not so obtained? 6. Report all violators of laws for protection of birds. 7. Destroy English sparrows. [Illustration: FIG. 315.—GREAT BLUE HERON. In flight, balancing with legs. ] =Migration.=—Many birds, in fact most birds, migrate to warmer climates to spend the winter. Naturalists were once content to speak of the migration of birds as a wonderful instinct, and made no attempt to explain it. As birds have the warmest covering of all animals, the winter migration is not for the purpose of escaping the cold; it is probably to escape starvation, because in cold countries food is largely hidden by snow in winter. On the other hand, if the birds remained in the warm countries in summer, the food found in northern countries in summer would be unused, while they would have to compete with the numerous tropical birds for food, and they and their eggs would be in danger from snakes, wild cats, and other beasts of prey so numerous in warm climates. These are the best reasons so far given for migration. [Illustration: FIG. 316.—EUROPEAN SWALLOWS (_Hirundo urbica_), assembling for autumn flight to South. ] The =manner= and =methods of migration= have been studied more carefully in Europe than in America. Migration is not a blind, infallible instinct, but the route is learned and taught by the old birds to the young ones; they go in flocks to keep from losing the way (Fig. 316); the oldest and strongest birds guide the flocks (Fig. 317). The birds which lose their way are young ones of the last brood, or mothers that turn aside to look for their strayed young. The adult males seldom lose their way unless scattered by a storm. Birds are sometimes caught in storms or join flocks of another species and arrive in countries unsuited for them, and perish. For example, a sea or marsh bird would die of hunger on arriving in a very dry country. The =landmarks of the route= are mountains, rivers, valleys, and coast lines. This knowledge is handed down from one generation to another. It includes the location of certain places on the route where food is plentiful and the birds can rest in security. Siebohm and others have studied the routes of migration in the Old World. The route from the nesting places in northern Europe to Africa follows the Rhine, the Lake of Geneva, the Rhone, whence some species follow the Italian and others the Spanish coast line to Africa. Birds choose the lowest mountain passes. The Old World martin travels every year from the North Cape to the Cape of Good Hope and back again! Another route has been traced from Egypt along the coast of Asia Minor, the Black Sea and Ural Mts. to Siberia. [Illustration: