THE MIGRATIONS OF THE ROOK 279 



early in April, numbers of Rooks arrive on the south-east 

 coast of England from the Continent, moving in a 

 westerly and north-westerly direction during the day- 

 time. These are most probably returning British 

 emigrants, whose departure in the autumn is also duly 

 chronicled. 



6. Early in February, and until mid-April, the 

 Central European Rooks which have wintered in England 

 depart from the south-east coast for their summer homes. 

 This is the most important movement of the spring. 



7. Throughout March, April, and the first half of 

 May, the winter visitors to Britain from Scandinavia are 

 observed, chiefly in the Orkneys and Shetlands, return- 

 ing to their northern summer quarters. 



8. The Irish Movements are mainly of an irregular 

 and unimportant nature, and Ireland is, possibly, not 

 resorted to by the Continental visitors for winter 

 quarters. In October and November in some years 

 arrivals have been recorded on the south-east coast 

 after passage across St George's Channel, and there 

 are occasional arrivals from Scotland at the islands off 

 the north-east coast. In spring there is a regular return 

 migration witnessed on the south-east coast between the 

 latter half of March and the third week of April, implying 

 an unobserved autumn emigration either of native Rooks 

 or of birds of passage, or of both. There are a few 

 records of the return of Rooks to Scotland in the spring. 



9. In the autumn of some years apparently erratic 

 movements westwards over the Atlantic have taken 

 place. During these many of the wanderers have been 

 known to perish, while others have been observed 

 returning, in an exhausted condition, to the west coast 

 of Ireland, and to the Hebrides. 



