MIGRATION IX THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 253 



Flio-ht falls to nearly clue East, or points south of 

 East. This is the first sign of that gradually 

 approaching Eastern Wave of Migration which 

 trickles rather than flows until (on an average) the 

 middle of the month. Then it suddenly assumes 

 a more powerful flow, culminating in a grand and 

 mighty influx of birds (young predominatmg), 

 lasting almost incessantly for perhaps a fortnight ; 

 then a lull of a week or so occurs ; and then another 

 grand w^ave of not quite the same magnitude and 

 duration (adults predominating) breaks upon our 

 eastern sea-board ; after which the Migrant Tide is 

 more or less spent for the year, having drained the 

 greater part of Western Asia and Eastern Europe 

 of the majority of their hardiest non-insectivorous 

 birds ! 



This westerly flowing tide of migrants is perhaps 

 the most interestincr Avian movement that takes 

 place in our islands, because it is so enormous and 

 so palpable to every eye. The number of species 

 borne on its swelling stream is not very great, 

 normally, but the number of individuals is almost 

 past belief, and what is also to be remarked, they are 

 all birds of exceptionally high powers of flight. 

 Indeed this migration must be seen to be believed ; 

 and a visit to our low-lving eastern coasts about 

 the middle of October will rarely fail to convince 

 the observer of its overpowering and bewildering 

 vastness. Night and day the inrush of Migrants 

 is constant and prodigious. For weeks I have 

 repeatedly watched this mar\ellous Avian movement 



