WHIMBEEL 139 



collect into flocks which increase in size daily. In the second half 

 of August he records great flocks of over a hundred birds which 

 leave the island about the middle of September. The latest date on 

 which Jonsson records them on the Westmann Isles is October 10. 

 Wmfer. — Exceptionally, small parties remain in Iceland during 

 the winter. Thus in the winter of 1899-1900 they were noticed by 

 many observers over Hjalteyri and the adjacent district. On the 

 other hand, many individuals remain all the year round in their 

 winter quarters, keeping together in small parties and evidently 

 nonbreeding birds. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breedi7ig range. — In the British Isles, very sparingly and almost 

 exterminated on certain islands in the Shetland group. A few 

 pairs are said to have bred at various localities on the mainland, 

 chiefly in the north of Scotland and perhaps also on some of the 

 outlying isles. Breeds freely on the Faroes and Iceland and prob- 

 ably in southwest 'Greenland. On the continent and northern 

 Scandinavia and Finland and in North Russia, south to Kanzan, 

 Samara, Ufa, Perm, and Orenburg; also in West Siberia at least 

 to Tara and Tobolsk, but in East Siberia replaced by N. fh. vartega- 

 tus. Possibly also breeds in Russia in Voronezh, Kief, and the 

 middle Urals, but proof still lacking. 



Winter range. — Passes through Europe and western Asia to the 

 coasts of Africa south to Cape Province, Madagascar, the Sey- 

 chelles, Comoro Isles, Aldabra, and Mauritius. In Asia to Arabia, 

 passing through Iraq to West India, south to Ceylon and the Islands 

 in the Bay of Bengal. 



Spring migration. — The average date of arrival of the migrating 

 flocks at the Faroes is given as mid April, while in Iceland they 

 arrive about the end of April or early in May; at the Westmann 

 Isles on the south coast the earliest and latest dates are given as 

 April 20 and May 5 by Jonsson. 



Fall migration. — The departure from Iceland begins about mid 

 September, on the Westmann Isles between September 20 and 

 October 10 (Jonsson), while the Faroes are abandoned by Septem- 

 ber 29 (exceptionally as late as October 3). 



Casual records. — It has occurred several times on Jan Meyen, once 

 Bear Island (June 14, 1898), several times on Spitsbergen, and 

 also on Kolguev. In the Atlantic it occurs on the Canaries, Madeira, 

 the Azores, and the Cape Verde Islands. A specimen came on board 

 a steamer in the vicinity of Sable Island, Nova Scotia, on IMay 23, 

 1906 (Latitude 43° north. Longitude 60° Avest) ; and one was obtained 



