THE BRITISH ISLES: AUTUMN 145 



almost imperceptibly performed. I have noticed, how- 

 ever, for several years, that the invasion of their haunts 

 by sportsmen on the 12th of August causes certain 

 species to quit the moorlands, and on that day numbers 

 of Curlews and Golden Plovers pass over the environs of 

 Edinburgh, making for the shores of the Firth of Forth. 



These local movements continue throughout the 

 early autumn, and there is no further necessity to allude 

 to them, since they relate to the return of the same 

 species which have been mentioned as seeking their 

 summer haunts during the spring. 



Departure of Summer Visitors. — During July, especi- 

 ally towards the end of the month, there are records 

 from the light-stations which unmistakably indicate that 

 the departure of certain species from our islands has 

 already commenced. These early Sittings, with a few 

 exceptions, must be regarded as somewhat unusual, and 

 possibly due to the disturbing influence of local meteoro- 

 logical conditions, with which, indeed, they are in many 

 cases correlated. Durino- the month the followinsf 

 species have been observed under circumstances which 

 leave little or no doubt that they were emigrating, those 

 marked thus * having been detected at lighthouses or 

 light-vessels, en route for countries beyond our shores : — 

 *Song- Thrush, ^Blackbird, ^Redbreast, Redstart, 

 *Wheatear, Nightingale, Willow- Warbler, Chiffchaff, 

 *Sedge- Warbler, ^Goldcrest, *Pied Wagtail, *Meadow- 

 Pipit, *Swallow, Chaffinch, ^Starling, ^Skylark, *Swift, 

 ^Nightjar, *Cuckoo, Corn-Crake, Common Sandpiper, 

 ^Lapwing, "^'Curlew, Sandwich Tern, and Roseate Tern. 

 The most constant of these July emigrants are the 

 adult Cuckoos ; and the Swift, which is one of the 

 latest of our summer guests to arrive, is also one of 



I. K 



