14 The Irish Nahiralisi. [Jan., 



lines taken in autumn. Records of the bird movements 

 observed at Heligoland from 1883 to 1886 by Herr Gatke have 

 been compared with the records of Eastern Britain for the 

 same period, but they do not bear out the supposition of a 

 direct migrator}^ movement between Heligoland and Britain ; 

 which places thus appear to draw their migratory hosts from 

 different sources. Some species which make the Faroes, 

 Iceland, and Greenland their summer homes (the Wheatear, 

 White Wagtail, Whimbrel, &c.) are observed on passage on the 

 western coast of Great Britain and on the Irish coasts. This 

 movement is independent of the great stream of migrants 

 arriving at and departing from the east coast of England in 

 autumn and spring. 



The emigrator\^ movements on the east coast are simple : 

 when the coast is reached the birds follow it southwards, and 

 quit our shores on the south of England. The movements 

 dowm the west coast are less simple : the route followed is only 

 partly by the coast, the coastline not forming a direct route. 

 At various points the flights receive large accessions. In 

 connection with these movements the coasts of Cumberland 

 and Lancashire lie outside the route taken ; the north-east 

 coast of Ireland is only occasionally touched ; the contributory 

 flights from Ireland are almost entirely from the southern, and 

 particularl}^ the south-eastern, coasts. The south-western 

 coast of England seems to be especially affected when there 

 are considerable movements on the south and south-east 

 coasts of Ireland, impl^dng that there is much intermigration 

 between these particular portions of the English and Irish 

 coasts. 



The Irish records have been excellently kept, and the re- 

 turns of specimens killed against the lighthouse and lightship 

 lanterns around the Irish coasts have been larger and more 

 valuable than those received from the coasts of Great Britain. 

 The Irish coasts do not in themselves constitute a main highway 

 for birds, but they participate along with the western shores 

 of Great Britain in movements on the part of some birds. 

 Probably many of the birds observed on the Irish coasts are 

 migratory members of the Irish avifauva. 



When the movements from the south-east Irish coast, 

 already referred to, are occurring, there is often a movemen 



