Recently published Ornithological Works. 515 



into two sectioEs ; the former treating of the author^s ' Obser- 

 vations on nocturnal Bird-flights at the lighthouse at Point 

 Lepreaux, Bay of Fundy^ New Brunswick ; ■' the latter being 

 entitled ' Facts and Theories respecting the general subject 

 of Bird-Migration/ Mr. Brewster's experiences in the 

 lantern of the lighthouse while birds were striking frequently, 

 and at times continuously, are very interesting, his estimate 

 of the proportion borne by the killed and severely wounded 

 to those which escape practically uninjured being highly 

 instructive. Part II. deserves, and has no doubt already 

 received, careful perusal from those who are specially studying 

 the migration of birds. It would be difficult to find a more 

 patient observer than Mr. Brewster, and his statements with 

 regard to North- American species deserve the highest respect, 

 however much some of them may militate against the ex- 

 periences of some observers on this side of the water. His 

 opinion is, that with most North-American birds the majority 

 of adults either precede or accompany the first flights of 

 young in the autumnal migration, and he has failed to find 

 any proof that the young of a single species precede the old. 

 From this rule he does not even except the North-American 

 Limicolce. What do our authorities on European migrants 

 say to this ? Here is plenty of matter for controversy, and 

 still more for reflection, to which latter we will confine our- 

 selves. To those who believe that the American Spotted 

 Sandpiper visits the British Islands, we recommend Mr, 

 Brewster's remark that it " is conspicuous among Scolopacidse 

 for its comparatively feeble, restricted powers of flight;'' 

 yet there are some ornithologists for whom such unproved 

 visitations present no difficulty, while the well-authenticated 

 narratives of the behaviour of the nestling Cuckoo are classed 

 with stories of ghosts and apparitions. 



81. British Association'' s Report on Migrations in 1885. 



[Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1885. 

 By Messrs. J. A. Harvie-Brown, J. Cordeaux, R, M. Barrington, A. G. 

 More, and W. Eagle Clarke. Seventh Report. Svo. Edinburgh : 



188G.] 



This seventh Report shows a marked improvement upon 



