108 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



Some Skylarks and Lapwings which have sought 

 Ireland in the autumn, to pass the winter in its milder 

 climate, return across the Irish Sea to their quarters in 

 Great Britain. 



Arrival of Earliest Migrants. — Should spring-like 

 periods occur during the latter half of February, the 

 southern coasts of England and Ireland receive, after a 

 passage across the Channel, the first birds to return from 

 their Continental winter retreats.^ These belong to that 

 section of our summer birds known as Partial Migrants ; 

 the species seeking again their native land at this 

 period are Song - Thrushes, Mistle - Thrushes, Red- 

 breasts, Starlings, Goldcrests, Skylarks, Pied and Grey 

 Wagtails, Meadow-Pipits, and Lapwings. These earliest 

 immigrations of the year come chiefly under notice at 

 the light-stations, and I have been furnished with many 

 valuable data regarding them from the advantageously 

 situated watch-tower on the Eddystone. At ordinary 

 points on the coast they are liable to be overlooked, 

 for the arrivals chiefly take place during the hours of 

 darkness, being timed between 7 p.m. and 6.30 a.m. 

 Starlings, however, have been observed making for the 

 Cornish coast during the forenoon. In most seasons 

 the return is a gradual one, but occasionally a rush is 

 recorded, as, for instance, at the Eddystone on the night of 

 I9th-20th February, 1903. On this occasion, from 7 p.m. 

 to 5 A.M., Starlings, Song-Thrushes, Mistle-Thrushes, 

 Skylarks, and Lapwings were passing northwards in 

 numbers, and many came to grief by dashing against 

 the lantern. This is only one of many similar move- 

 ments recorded in the returns from this important station. 



1 The earliest date known to me for such immigrations is nth February, 

 and the birds chronicled were Skylarks. 



