MIGRATION IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 245 



enter tlie Dart valley and spread over the surround- 

 ing country right up to the shores of Tor Bay, 

 often in surprising numbers. I have traced the 

 migration flight of Cuckoos, Warblers, Redstarts, 

 and Flycatchers along this route in spring. It has 

 also been remarked that migrants coming into our 

 islands in autumn seldom or never alight on the 

 coast after a favourable passage, but liy inland at 

 once, which I, myself, have often witnessed in the 

 Wash and elsewhere. On the other hand, if the 

 journey has been rough and fatiguing, the migrants 

 are glad to drop on the nearest land, often tired 

 out and utterly exhausted. I have seen Goldcrests 

 and Linnets (^Linota cannahina) swarming in thou- 

 sands in the Lincolnshire salt-marshes, many of 

 them so tired and exhausted as to fly with the 

 greatest reluctance. 



Although I am very strongly of opinion that 

 all or nearly all our indigenous birds are more or 

 less migratory, what we will designate the British 

 migrants proper may be divided into three very 

 distinct classes. First, we have the birds that come 

 here in spring to remain with us during the summer 

 and rear their offspring; second, the birds that 

 come here in autumn to spend the winter with us 

 and leave in spring ; and third, the birds that only 

 pass our islands to and from the more northern 

 breeding -grounds and more southern winter 

 quarters. Perhaps we might also add a fourth 

 class, consisting solely of Nomadic Migrants, whose 

 appearances are irregular and intermittent, yet often 



