GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS 87 



There are other lines of flight between the south- 

 east coast of England and the Continent, especially 

 at its extreme limit. This complication of routes and 

 cross routes at the neck of the Channel is, no doubt, to 

 be accounted for by the contiguity of the British and 

 Continental areas at the Straits of Dover. While on 

 board the Kentish Knock lightship, I observed, in the 

 month of September, and during the daytime, Wheat- 

 ears, Martins, Starlings, Skylarks, Pied Wagtails, and 

 Meadow Pipits passing in a south-eastern direction — ■ 

 i.e., from the north coast of Essex towards the French 

 coast about Dunkirk ; while a little further south, off 

 the east coast of Kent, there are cross movements in 

 progress in an opposite direction at the same period, from 

 the S.E. to N.W. — i.e., from the northernmost shores 

 of the French coast to the coast of Kent — the birds 

 observed being Rooks, Starlings, Skylarks, Chaffinches, 

 Tree Sparrows, and Swallows. 



At the Varne lightship, which is stationed in the 

 mid-waters of the Straits of Dover, Rooks and Starlings 

 are sometimes recorded in spring as moving from 

 S.S.W. to N.N.E., and Swallows from S.E. to N.W. ; 

 and in autumn, Swallows and Meadow Pipits leaving 

 England pass to the S.E., and Starlings, Larks, and 

 other "small birds," to the W. and N.N.W. Mr West, 

 the Master of the North Goodwin lightship, remarks 

 that when a great number of birds pass from E. to W. 

 or N.E. to S.W. in the autumn, bad weather generally 

 follows. 



Movements of British Emigrants. — The autumnal 

 movements of the departing summer birds are simple in 

 their geographical aspects, so far as the eastern portion 

 of Britain is concerned ; but, as in the spring, it is not 



