98 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



BIRD -MIGRATION AND INSECT LIFE IN THE 

 SOLWAY DISTRICT IN THE AUTUMN OF 



1895- 



By ROBERT SERVICE. 



BIRD -MIGRATION. The principal feature amongst the bird 

 movements of the past autumn was the prolonged stay of 

 such species as the Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) 

 and the Chats. No doubt this was induced by the extremely 

 fine weather of September and the first half of October. 

 The last Swallows (Hirundo rustica) were noted on the 

 morning of the i6th October, and a few days thereafter 

 very keen frost set in, and so hard was it that at Wanlock- 

 head curling was engaged in a thing unprecedented during 

 at least a century past. The setting in of this severe 

 weather was coincident with a very well-marked rush of 

 birds to the southwards. Wagtails (Motacilld)^ Thrushes 

 (Turdus musicus], Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris], Chaffinches 

 (Fringilla ccelebs], Greenfinches (Ligurinus chloris], Robins 

 (Erithacus mibeculd], Skylarks (Alauda arvensis], Tits (Parus\ 

 amongst the small birds, and Lapwings ( Vanellus vulgaris}, 

 Cur\&\v(A T ujnenius arguata~),~Bama.c\e Geese (Bernida lencopsis], 

 amongst the larger species, were very conspicuous in migrat- 

 ing flocks, more especially on the I5th to iSth October. 

 They were either sitting or flying about in the first few hours 

 of the day, and almost all gone off again by midday. During 

 November and up till now very unusual numbers of Heron 

 (Ardea cinered] have been noticed all over our area. This is 

 a species fast decreasing as a breeding resident, and the 

 recent outcry against its fish-destroying habits in this district 

 unreasonable and unfounded as I think these allegations 

 are in many respects will tend to still further lessen its 

 numbers. Remarkably large flocks of Common and Herring 

 Gulls (Lams cam is and argetitatus], together with many Lesser 

 Blackbacks (L. fuscus\ have resorted to inland fields these 

 last few weeks, no doubt driven off the sea-shore by the 

 tempestuous weather in the Solway Firth and more open 



