583 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 



climates in autumn : birds such as the Swifts, Masked 

 Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, and the Swallows. But I have 

 no doubt that by no means do all of these summer visitors 

 which arrive in the island remain to breed, many passing ou 

 and joining the ranks of the spring and autumn migrants. 



Perhaps forty species are what one may terra winter 

 visitors : birds such as the Blackbird, Robin, Wigeon and 

 some other Ducks, the Starling, and the Rook; they arrive 

 in the autumn, remain during the winter, and leave in spring 

 for the north. Here, again, many individuals are birds of 

 passage only. 



By far the largest class is the spring and autumn birds 

 of passage, which arrive in spring, stay a few days or weeks, 

 pass on to their more northern or more suitable breeding- 

 grounds, and return in the autumn ; again wait a little, 

 though not so long, and are off to warmer places. Of course, 

 as might be expected, there are many cases in which 

 individuals belonging to this category do not follow the 

 movements of the bulk of their fellows, but remain in the 

 island either to nest or for the winter. For example, the 

 Blackcap does both ; it certainly nests and as certainly 

 remains during the winter, but the numbers which do so 

 are infinitesimal compared with the huge throngs which 

 occur in spring and autumn. The Cranes, in flocks of 

 hundreds, pass over the island, regular almost to a day, 

 in spring and autumn ; hardly any even alight, but a few are 

 to be found in the marshes throughout the winter. Such 

 instances might be multiplied almost indefinitely. 



Regarded as a point in a migratory line Cyprus is perhaps 

 too near to the mainland to offer a compulsory route ; so 

 close is it, indeed, and so much is its climate dominated by 

 that of the neighbouring coasts, that a heavy spell of cold 

 weather on the Taurus will produce a rush of Woodcock, 

 Snipe, and Duck at almost any time. 



Although, therefore, the adjoining coast of the Levant 

 probably prevents Cyprus from being a very remarkable 

 halting place, it is nevertheless at the migration seasons a 

 fairly busy spot which a considerable number of migrants 



