196 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



exclusively of such species as Warblers, Titlarks, Wagtails, 

 Finches, Robins, Redstarts, Wheatears, and allied species. 



The Thrush tribe and the Swallows have a rather 

 different mode of leaving us in autumn. The Song Thrush 

 and the Blackbird are specially interesting. These are 

 both very conspicuous amongst the autumn migrants. 

 This is so to a very noticeable extent in the early mornings 

 of late September and the first week or two of October. 

 And in their migration movements, while it is quite evident 

 that they are actuated by a common migrational impulse, 

 each species keeps well apart. Let me quote a note from 

 my journal of date I2th October 1897, in reference to the 

 Blackbird : " On this morning, migration was evidently in 

 full swing. There was a very light N.E. current of air, 

 and small wisps of mist hung about the lower grounds. 

 Soon after daylight, my attention was attracted by an 

 unusual number of Blackbirds, mostly young males, sporting 

 and feeding along the sunny side of a hedgerow. The 

 hedgerow was about 150 yards in length, and yet there 

 were more than sixty Blackbirds scattered along its base. 

 Probably they had only newly arrived there, for as I 

 watched them at their play they were being joined by 

 others, singly and in twos and threes. But watch as 

 closely as I could, their direction of arrival could not be 

 distinguished. They came down from the upper air, 

 becoming suddenly visible, sometimes three at a time, and 

 after a short fluttering flight joined their mates on the 

 grass. I saw about a dozen birds thus drop into view, but 

 I quite failed to see any indication of the point of the 

 compass from whence they had come. The new-comers 

 did not show any signs of fatigue, but they were evidently 

 ravenously hungry, for they commenced to search for food 

 most eagerly. By mid-day not a single Blackbird was to be 

 seen at or near the place." 



Let me give another such extract of date ist October 

 1 90 i : " The hedgerows in the parks near my house were 

 found at nine o'clock A.M. to be lined in many places by 

 parties of Thrushes and Blackbirds, each, as usual, keeping 

 apart. If these birds were there at eight o'clock, I had 

 failed to notice them when I passed. There seemed no 



