270 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



Thames (and sometimes on the coasts of Norfolk and 

 Kent) to north-west and north-north-west on the coast 

 of Suffolk and northwards. On reaching our shores the 

 immigrants proceed inland in search of winter quarters. 



The movements are observed during the daytime 

 (usually between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.) and at night; and 

 the birds pass the lightships in straggling flocks 

 or sometimes in small parties (even of two or three 

 individuals), and frequently immense numbers pass 

 in a single day. I observed a number at the lantern of 

 the Kentish Knock lightship on the night of 17th 

 October 1903. They were anything but sprightly in 

 their actions, and flapped about the light in a most 

 ungainly manner. 



Mr Arthur Patterson informs me that at the Outer 

 Dowsing lightship, off the Norfolk coast, for two or 

 three days early in November 1902, Rooks, Jackdaws, 

 and Grey Crows simply swarmed. One of the crew 

 was confident that there were over a thousand birds 

 on board at once. They were crowded on every avail- 

 able perchhold, bulwarks, cabin tops, every rope and 

 fitting that was not quite vertical, nor refused ever so 

 precarious a foothold. The weather was foggy. For 

 two whole nights the ship swarmed with sleeping birds, 

 and the deck in the morning was in a filthy condition. 



The most frequent companion of the Rook on these 

 occasions is the Daw, though always in smaller numbers 

 than its congener, the other species also migrating at 

 the same time being Grey Crows, Starlings, Skylarks, 

 Chaffinches, and Tree-Sparrows. 



Mr Caton Haigh, who is favourably situated on the 

 north coast of Lincolnshire for observing the incoming 

 of the right wing of these immigrants, remarks that the 



