48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



fall of snow on 21st in Edinburgh. Strong south-west gale and 

 driving snow again on 24th in Stirlingshire, with gleams of sun- 

 shine, but the snow did not lie on lower grounds. Thereafter keen 

 frost every night up to end of month and into April, reaching 

 sometimes 17° of frost, and often 7° to 12°. No growth of vegeta- 

 tion whatever apparent at end of March. 



During this terrible winter all birds that could go left West 

 Ross-shire, such as plover, snipe, &c. ; and also, which is unusual, 

 all similar birds left Lewis. A swan, wing-tipped by Mr. 0. H. 

 M'Kenzie of Inverewe, was sent alive to Zool. Gardens, London. 

 Thrushes did not disappear from Poole we as in 1878-9. Only one 

 pair remained to breed in 1879, and they have not yet recovered 

 their numbers. No redwings for two or three years have been 

 seen there. This general scarcity is, it is to be feared, the effect of 

 severe winters. It would' be interesting to know if they were 

 scarce in Scandinavia at the nesting seasons of 1879 and 1880. 



A summary of the foregoing notes shows that gales and winds 

 continued to prevail from N.E. and E. all autumn and winter, and 

 this during the whole migration season. High seas have run upon 

 the east shores in consequence. Data in Migration report show 

 that vast numbers of birds have been carried far over the Atlantic, 

 up to 1200 miles west from Iceland. Rarities have reached this 

 country hailing from east and west, but probably having travelled 

 by the same routes, via Siberia and the East, borne forward by the 

 excessive easterly gales. The great and severe frosts and snows, 

 especially in January, 1881, were too late, perhaps, to affect the 

 migration of birds to any appreciable extent, but not too late to 

 do great injury to our native species, or to drive off species which 

 would otherwise have wintered with us. Many birds died, say 

 from 10 to 20 per cent., or more, according to locality. Ducks got 

 thin by 15th January, while pigeons and pheasants were mere 

 bunches of feathers by the end of that month. Thaw for a week 

 hardly affected ice on still ponds, but carried off river-ice. 



It is only necessary to add here that after April, 1881, the whole 

 summer remained cold, wet, and stormy, and up to the end of 

 September the same wretched weather continued. A great migra- 

 tion took place as early as 20th September, with strong S.E. 

 winds, for particulars of which see Migration Report for 1881 — [now 

 preparing for press — April, 1882]. 



