204 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



dates is a comparatively common doing on the part of those 

 who watch the birds coming in spring, it must be said that 

 it is rather rudimentary work. He who wishes to go deeper 

 into the mystery of migration will do much more than this. 

 He will note the hour of arrival even the minute is of 

 importance. The direction of the wind is all-important, and 

 the character of the weather must also be noted. In fact, 

 all the meteorological data must go down if a complete 

 record is wanted. And there is the direction of flight, 

 condition of birds (whether tired -looking or otherwise), 

 height they are flying at, number of birds seen, and a whole 

 list of minutiae that must be taken down. The observer 

 who goes in for this will find himself amongst a maze of new 

 facts. And if he is new to this line of observation he will 

 be perfectly astonished at his introduction to so many things 

 that " are not in the books." 



In the spring-time of the year any mild, moist, and there- 

 fore dark night, with not too strong a wind from any compass 

 except the north, is pretty sure to give the observer matter 

 for noting. Perhaps "observer" is not the correct word, 

 for it implies the use of eyesight. It is however on such a 

 night that ears must be used. From all directions of the 

 air and heavens will be heard notes and calls of birds. 

 Some of them are little chirps and squeaks, hardly 

 discernible by the best ears. Others may be loud enough, 

 such as the quack of Wild Duck or the scream of a Diver. 

 The piping of Waders is always conspicuous. Familiar as 

 one may be with the winter notes or summer songs and 

 calls of our birds, whose every modulation may be fixed in 

 our memory, still, as I have already stated in dealing with 

 the off-going flight, with the notes of migrating birds the 

 case is quite different. The best field ornithologist will 

 scarcely identify more than half the calls he may hear 

 during a really big movement The migrating call is only 

 uttered when the birds are travelling high overhead, and 

 only then when the night is not a quite clear one. The 

 whole subject is a singularly attractive one, and I wish 

 heartily that it had more attention from my fellow-workers. 



