1901. USSHER. — The Migration of Birds. 3 



Wagtail, Hawfinch, Wryneck, Sand-Grouse, Roseate Tern, 

 Eared Grebe, and Surf Scoter. The Pied Flycatcher has been 

 shown to be an irregular autumn visitor in immature plumage 

 to the south coast of Ireland, and a good many other summer 

 migrants have occurred in late autumn or winter. 



But apart from exceptional occurrences, Mr. Barrington has 

 brought to light most important facts about the distribution 

 and seasonal movements of the commoner birds. The portions 

 of the coast where each species has occurred are carefully de- 

 tailed, and the reader is thereby led to infer the routes by which 

 birds arrive. This is suggested by the lines which limit their 

 range on arrival, given at p. 267 for the spring migration. It is 

 probable that spring migrants arrive approximately at right 

 angles to these lines, and accordingly that they come to our 

 eastern and southern shores from the direction of Wales or 

 Cornwall. The Co. Wexford receives the densest portion of 

 the host, and some species make it their special point for 

 landing. 



This is the case in autumn also, as regards the Passerine 

 visitors which come to winter in Ireland, or touch it at that 

 time on passage. 



It is remarkable that the Whinchat, Garden Warbler, and 

 Yellow Wagtail, which breed more towards the North or West 

 of Ireland, have been received almost exclusively from southern 

 or south-eastern light stations on migration. 



While the arrivals of some species, like the Sky-lark in 

 autumn, seem to be uniform in numbers from north to south, 

 other birds, like the Black Redstart and the Brambling, occur 

 almost exclusively at the southern and south-eastern stations. 



The coasts of Connaught are shown to be less visited than 

 any others by birds which arrive chiefly in the south-east, but a 

 certain proportion of these occur at Down and Antrim stations. 



x\nother group of winter migrants are chiefly noticed on that 

 side of Ireland least frequented by the former. The Woodcock 

 is an instance of this. Its most frequent and earliest occur- 

 rences are on the coasts of Donegal and Connaught, and 

 extend to western Kerry. Ulster stations yield more than 

 half of the records for the whole Irish coast. These are most 

 numerously furnished from Inishtrahull, which appears to lie 



in the way of the largest arrivals from the north of Europe. 



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