364 Mr. J. H. Gurney on the 



In most other respects the experience of the above-men- 

 tioned authors is merely what we would be naturally led to 

 expect ; but there is one singular observation of Pellicot's 

 which is not very easy to understand, where he tells his 

 readers that Starlings, Pigeons, and Thrushes differ from 

 other birds in their autumn migration by following the coast 

 instead of striking out to sea. Also Daval-Jouve says that 

 when the autumnal rains are late, Pigeons, Starlings, and 

 many other birds which habitually fly towards the west and 

 against the wind, fly in an opposite direction. In these cases 

 I should imagine strong winds to be the explanation of the 

 unusual movement. 



In the spring it appears that there is sometimes a great 

 migratory journeying of birds from west to east along the 

 coast of Provence. This was detected, on April 19, 1895, 

 at Bordighera, probably with an easterly wind (' Zoologist,^ 

 xix. p. 309) . In the autumn it is found that Grus cinerea 

 and Ciconia alba, after coming south, habitually turn 

 westwards, and fly towards Spain {fde L. Ternier, 1899). 

 Again, many of the rarities which have been obtained in the 

 South of France are distinctly of eastern origin, e. g. Carpo- 

 (lacus erythrinus nwdiEmberiza ccesia, h\xi it cannot be doubted 

 that their presence is greatly due to wind, which blows them 

 where they do not, of their own accord, attempt to go. 



In 1900 the spring migrants, according to my note-book, 

 arrived in the following order, and the dates differ little 

 from what they would have been in England : — 



Qiculus canorns (re- 

 ported) March 6 



Machetes inignax .... ,, 9 



Chelidon urhica „ 12 



Saxicola cenanthe .... „ 18 



Cre.r porzana „ 20 



Totaniis ochropus .... ,, 21 



lynx torquilla ,, 24 



Upupa epops „ 29 



Hirundo rustica .... „ 30 



C. canorus (certain) . . April 1 



Sterna cantiaca April 11 



Cotile rijyaria „ — 



Daidias luscinia „ 13 



Cypselus apiis „ 15 



Muscicapa atricapilla . . „ 28 



Ruticilla phcenicurus . . „ — 



Oriolus galbula „ 30 



Museicnpa. grisola .... „ — 



Caprimulgtts europcevs . May 2 



Turtiir communis .... „ — 



Lanius pomeranus .... „ 8 



Scops gin „ 5 I coUurio „ 12 



Hypolais polyglotta . . „ 9 i 



