GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS 71 



hopeless, it being impossible to ascertain the smaller 

 migrants which are resting in them. Woods in the 

 vicinity of the coast must harbour countless migrants 

 which never come under notice. 



The South Coast of England. — The south coast 

 of England is the scene, for a prolonged period in both 

 spring and autumn, of the arrival and departure of the 

 great majority of the migratory birds which visit our 

 islands, namely, the Summer Visitors and Birds of 

 Passage. 



In spring it receives the vast array of migrants 

 on their arrival from their winter retreats in Southern 

 Europe, or in Northern, Tropical, and Southern Africa. 

 Many of these are the summer visitors which spread 

 themselves far and wide over all parts of our islands ; 

 while many more — the majority — are travellers which 

 journey along our shores to contribute largely to the 

 summer bird-life of vast areas of Continental Europe, 

 Iceland, Greenland, and the Arctic shores, tundras, 

 and islands of the Old World, as far east as Western 

 Siberia. 



In autumn the south coast becomes the rendezvous 

 for the retiring summer birds, their ranks now largely 

 augmented by their numerous offspring, which gather 

 there from wide areas, British, Continental, and Arctic, 

 ere they quit our shores to seek their southern and 

 tropical winter homes. 



Thus the wide - extending southern coast - line of 

 England is important beyond all others in the British 

 Islands for the visits of migratory birds. 



Channel Routes. — During these great arrival and 

 departure movements, the English Channel is crossed 

 by many routes, but there are certain favoured ones, for 



