THE VERNAL MIGRATION 15 



any inference therefrom, that curlews do not migrate, 

 would be entirely wrong - . Let the -observations be 

 carried but a very little further, and it will be found that 

 long after the curlews have taken up their summer 

 quarters on the moors, there still remains on the coast, 

 for two months more, the full winter stock of curlews 

 in undiminished numbers. That is to say, that during 

 the months of March and April, there is, in fact, 

 a double stock of curlews in this country. There 

 are, on the moors, the curlews newly arrived from the 

 Mediterranean ; while on the coast, all our winter curlews 

 still linger till the end of April — waiting till their 

 instinct tells them that the lands of Northern Europe 

 are clear of snow and ready for their reception. 



The case of the golden plover is analogous. Our 

 winter plovers can still be seen frequenting their ordinary 

 haunts in large flights, for weeks after the breeding pairs 

 have settled down in their summer residences. Indeed, 

 as the golden plovers breed rather earlier than the 

 curlews, it is quite a common occurrence to find the 

 home-breeding birds (which have wintered in Southern 

 Europe) sitting hard, or even hatching, at the end of 

 April, and at the same time and place, to observe packs 

 of northward-bound plovers still lingering here, but which, 

 a few weeks later will be nesting, perhaps in Siberia. 

 These latter may be distinguished (apart from the fact 

 of their being still in flocks) by their more perfect 

 development of the black breast of summer — a feature 

 I intend to refer to later. 



Similarly, though the extent of their respective ranges 

 differ, the skylark, titlark, black-headed gull, redshank, 

 and other species included in the above list can be found 

 permanently throughout the year at one point or another 



