2o8 THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



in the British Islands. They appear to follow the 

 narrow strip of land, including Persia and Turkey 

 in Asia, which is bounded by the Mediterranean 

 Sea and the Persian Gulf on the south, and by the 

 Caspian and Black Seas on the north ; and their 

 fly-lines must actually cross at right angles those 

 of species passing from Africa to Northern Europe 

 by way of the Black and Caspian Seas and Volga 

 and Ural valleys. Then again we have m.igrants 

 from the extreme south-east of Asia, en route to 

 the far north-west of Europe. The Rustic Bunting 

 {Emheriza rustica) winters in China, and extends 

 its spring migrations as far west as Finland. The 

 fly-line of individuals breeding in Europe apparently 

 crosses Mongolia and follows the valley of the 

 Yenesay and the Obb, thence across the Urals into 

 those of the Petchora and the Dwina. The Little 

 Buntings {Ember iza pusilla) that breed in North 

 Russia, probably winter in India. The north- 

 westerly fiy-lines of these two birds are crossed by 

 the north-easterly fiy-lines of such birds as the 

 Sedge Warbler [Acrocephalus phragmitis) and the 

 Willow Wren [Pfiylloscopus trochilus), many in- 

 dividuals of both these species leaving winter 

 quarters in Africa or Persia, and migrating at least 

 as far to the north-east as the valley of the Yenesay, 

 and higher than the Arctic Circle. The Roller 

 {Coracias garrula) breeds in Cashmere and winters 

 in Arabia and Africa, not visiting India at that 

 season ! 



South of the Arctic Circle the arrival of spring 



