150 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



ological conditions on the movements of birds ; this year, 

 however, the types of weather are unusually distinct and 

 well separated one from the other, and the movements too 

 are very clear and well defined. The type of weather during 

 the spring migration was westerly, and April especially was 

 very mild. Shetland, however, was visited by a south-east 

 gale in the last week of March, and this is correlated with 

 an enormous influx of Woodcock at Fair Isle, an unusual 

 occurrence in spring. The main arrivals of our summer 

 visitors took place at earlier dates than usual. Passage 

 migrants are noted in small numbers only, and very few 

 uncommon visitors were observed, the movements being 

 on the whole very normal. These conditions lasted up 

 to the 8th of June, when the weather changed to an 

 easterly type, bringing, as one would expect, not only a 

 strong movement of late passage migrants but also a large 

 proportion of uncommon visitors. 



We notice a tendency on the part of many writers 

 to ascribe any rather unusual ornithological happenings 

 to the effects of the war. As far as we can tell from the 

 material at our disposal, the war has had no perceptible 

 effect on the bird life of Scotland in 19 14. Having regard 

 to the weather conditions which prevailed, the course of 

 autumn migration was normal, any irregularities which 

 occurred being amply accounted for by the meteorological 

 conditions. The autumn movement up to i6th October 

 was steady and normal ; the weather being almost entirely 

 westerly militated against great rushes. After this the wind 

 changed, an easterly type of weather prevailed, and enormous 

 overseas arrivals are recorded, including many uncommon 

 visitors. The chief event at the end of the year was the 

 irruption of Little Auks in December. A gale from the 

 south-east began on the loth, and thereafter numerous 

 records come of this species being wrecked on our shores, 

 and in some instances driven far inland. During the second 

 half of December a decided movement, caused by the hard 

 weather, is recorded. 



The immigrant Great Tits which arrived in Shetland in 

 autumn, remained there up to the end of the year, the first 



