1902. Notes 23 



Migration of Thrushes or Blackbirds. 



On the night of October 26th the bright moonlight afforded me an 

 unusually good view of nocturnal migration. On the morning of that 

 day I had been struck with the great numbers of Blackbirds in the 

 hedges, suggesting that a large incursion of that species had taken place 

 — as we know to be usual at this time of year. About an hour after sun- 

 set the cries of Thrushes or Blackbirds passing overhead began to be 

 audible. By 8 o'clock the moon was high, and from that time onwards 

 until II, by looking towards that part of the sky in which she was 

 shining I could see, after every two or three minutes, a bird cross her 

 disk, and shoot on rapidly towards the south-west. The total number 

 which passed must have been very large, for I only saw those which 

 crossed the most illuminated part of the sky ; and even there, owing to 

 the swiftness of their flight, a considerable number must have escaped 

 my eye. Many of them uttered, while still in sight, the shrill soft call 

 which is familiarly associated with the Song-Thrush, but which at this 

 season is also much used by the Blackbird ; and though I cannot say 

 with certainty to which species they belonged, I think it probable that 

 the latter — which had been observed in such exceptional numbers during 

 the day — constituted the majority. The direction of the flight seemed 

 in all cases uniformly south-west. The height at which the birds were 

 flying was well above the level of the tree-tops, and, perhaps, 100 feet 

 from the ground, but not more. The night was fine, with thin fleecy 

 clouds — a better background for observation than perfectly clear sky, 

 and the moon was practically full, actual full moon being due at 

 2.41 p.m. on the 27th. I heard, also, the cry of a Lark, so some other 

 birds were passing. 



C. B. Moffat. 



Ballyhyland, Co. Wexford. 



Black-tailed Godwit in Co. Wexford. 



Mr. Robert Warren's experience of Irish sea and shore birds is so 

 exceptional that I bow with all due deference to his warning on the 

 subject of the numbers of Black-tailed Godwits supposed to have been 

 recently seen on the coast of Co. Wexford (^Irish Naturalist^ May, 1901, 

 p. 115). But I would point out that the occurrence was distinctly 

 regarded by my informant as exceptional, and that the bird which he 

 sent me as a specimen of one of those which had puzzled him actually 

 was, without doubt, a Black-tailed Godwit. Thus, the occurrence of 

 this bird on the Wexford coast at the time specified is proved ; although, 

 with Mr. Warren's letter before us, we shall do well to suppose that the 

 flocks of Godwits seen were composed both of this and the commoner 

 Bar-tailed species. 



G. E. H. Barrett-Hamii^ton. 

 Ivceuwspruit, South Africa. 



