10 



in small parties durint^- the whole of May, and the Swallow 

 arrived continuously from the 8th of April to the 20th of 

 May. 



As before, we have divided the areas of arrival on the 

 south coast into four divisions. The route mcfst favoured 

 is the south-westerly one, by which the birds first reach the 

 Cornish and Devonshire coasts and appear in Hampshire 

 about a day later. The Eastern Counties are generally 

 somewhat late in receiving their share of immigrants, and 

 in many instances parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire are 

 populated a week or so earlier. After landing on our 

 shores, the most favoured route seems to be that which 

 leads due north, ?•/« Gloucester, Hereford, Shropshire, and 

 Chester ; the eastward spread of the species taking place 

 gradually. 



A few species landing on the south-east coastpursuea north- 

 westerly course, notably the Nightingale, Wryneck, and Yellow 

 Wagtail ; but it should be remembered that these species 

 are all local in their distribution and of rare occurrence in 

 tiie south-west. Again, a few species proceed in the opposite 

 direction, for, arriving in the south-west, they follow a 

 north-easterly course. This route, however, seems to be 

 most favoured by late immigrations of species which have 

 already become settled in this country, and the individuals 

 composing them are on their way to more; northern l^recding- 

 (juarters. 



The immigration was at its height in 1907 from the 

 15th of April till about the 20th of May, the princii)al 

 arrivals taking place on the 15th, 23r(l, 21th, and 2l'ith of 

 April, and on the Gth, 15th, and ] '.tth of May. These 

 "rushes" usually lasted ibr about a week, tlie number of 

 s[)ecies gradually increasing for several nights and then 

 (liininishing. 



The largest and most important immigration was that 

 recorded at St. Catherine's Jjighthouse in the Isle of Wight 

 on the 15th of May, when individuals of no less than 

 eighteen different sj)ecics killed themselves against the 

 lantern. Between the 23rd of March and the 27th of May 



