igoi. UssiiKR. — The Migration of Birds. 7 



Strange immigrations of Rooks are described, which were 

 observed in November, 1884, 1887, and 1890. These chiefly 

 arrived on the extreme points of Kerry and Connanght, the 

 birds flying in from the Atlantic at a great height, sometimes 

 for many days together, and in an exhausted state. 



Then again it is recorded (p. 282), that rushes of Starlings and 

 Rooks have been seen passing westward into the Atlantic from 

 the furthest points of Connaught. These cases, which occurred 

 in October and November, are not connected with those great 

 stampedes or races for life towards the western coasts and 

 islands which occur in severe frost and snow. An instance of 

 these took place at Samphire Island, Tralee Bay, in February, 

 1895, when vast numbers of Starlings, Sky-larks, Thrushes, 

 and Redwings were noticed going south all day in heavy 

 snow. Next day they were still going south continuously. 



Mr. Barrington alludes to birds which reach Ireland in winter 

 that have stopped at some half-way house, and to the constant 

 tendency of the Starling to pass westward on the renewal of 

 cold weather, but he might have treated separately of those 

 supplementary immigrations and westward movements which 

 occur at any time of winter or early spring, when hard weather 

 sets in. On such occasions the number of trans-marine arrivals 

 is very great, and must considerably modify the statistics, for 

 they must increase above their normal proportion the totals 

 for each month after the autumn migration is over. 



The carnivorous propensities of Gulls, which swallow whole 

 birds as large as a Blackbird, are described, with the probable 

 suggestion that birds of feeble flight diminish this danger by 

 crossing at night. 



A totally original portion of this volume contains measure- 

 ments of about 1,600 wings, with the dates and localities of 

 capture. The result given is that in every species of which a 

 sufficient number were measured, thelongest-winged individuals 

 arrived first in spring ; while in the majority of species the 

 same rule applies to autumn, the apparent exceptions at that 

 season being the Fieldfare, Wheatear, White-throat, Willow 

 Wren, and Gold-crest. Where the males are larger than the 

 females, as in most Passercs, the measurements show that the 

 former arrive first in spring ; and if it is assumed that the 

 adults are larger than the young birds of the year, then the 

 former migrate first in autumn in nine species out of thirteen. 



