256 STUDIES IN HIRD-MIGllATION 



Continental birds which have traversed our shores on 

 their way southwards. 



Some of these native emigrants are probably of Irish 

 origin, but their departure is likewise difficult to detect. 

 There are, however, nocturnal movements (and emigra- 

 tory movements are eminently performed by night) of 

 Starlings and other birds during the latter part of July 

 and in August, which seem to indicate that this species 

 quits Ireland in the late summer and early autumn for 

 more southern winter quarters. 



It is possible that some Starlings may cross the 

 English Channel in the daytime. There is, however, but 

 one record of such a movement in the returns ; ^ and during 

 a five-weeks' residence at the Eddystone in September 

 and October 1901, I never saw any diurnal migration 

 on the part of this species, though many thousands 

 crossed in the night and earliest hours of the morning. 



Autumn Immigration from Central Europe? — The 

 first Starlinofs to arrive from the Continent on our coasts 

 in the autumn come from the east, and are doubt- 

 less emigrant summer visitors from Western Central 

 Europe. These visitors cross the southern waters of the 

 North Sea by a more or less direct east-to-west passage, 

 and appear on the coast of England from the H umber 

 southwards to the Channel. 



These immigrations set in with great regularity 

 during the last week of September,^ reach their maximum 



' At the Varne lightship (Straits of Dover), on i8th September 1887, 

 twenty passed from north to south-south-east at 7 a.m. 



^ For further information regarding the migrations of the Starling along this 

 route, as observed at the Kentish Knock lightship, see Chapter XVI 1 1., Vol. II. 



•' The earliest date chronicled is 21st September 1880, but the initial 

 date for other years follows closely thereon. 1 oljserved the first at the 

 Kentibh Knock lightship on the 24th in 1903. 



