468 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke— Ornithology 



grants, and in the etangs wereOspreys and numerous Ducks 

 and Waders. Owing to an unusually droughty season, the 

 lagoons of the Camargue had become much reduced in area, 

 and saline to an extreme degree. The consequence was that 

 migratory Waders did not frequent their shores, as they did 

 in May 1894, but selected the margins of the freshwater 

 etangs, on which they were very numerous. 



Certain species of the Limicolse — the Knot, Grey Plover, 

 and others — do not arrive in the Delta until late in the 

 season ; not indeed until the approach of winter cold drives 

 them thus far south, and this accounts for the absence of 

 several species from our notes. There can be no doubt that 

 numerous other species, the Thrush and E-edbreast for 

 instance, not seen by us in September, appear on passage, 

 or as winter visitors, or as both, during October, and even 

 later. 



Some of the summer visitors to the Delta and its vicinity 

 had taken their departure prior to mid-September. Thus, on 

 our arrival at Aries on the 14th of that month, we at once 

 missed the Swifts, which during the summer are so sur- 

 prisingly abundant, on account, no doubt, of the multiplicity 

 and congeniality of the nesting-haunts aifordedby the ancient 

 Roman buildings for which that old-world town is famous. 

 The Swift is well known as an early emigrant, so that its 

 entire departure from the shores of the Mediterranean by the 

 date named is not altogether surprising. 



This, however, was not the only bird of summer that we 

 missed in our peregrinations in the Camargue. The Hoopoe, 

 which we saw daily in May 1894, and which was certainly 

 the commonest species that then came under our notice, had 

 also emigrated. Another conspicuous and everyday bird 

 during our former visit, namely the Lesser Grey Shrike, had 

 likewise departed, and not one did we see, though insect-life 

 was astonishingly abundant. Again, the Black-throated 

 Wheatear and the Great Reed-Warbler were not observed, 

 and had presumably, deserted their summer-haunts. On the 

 other hand, several species which are winter visitors to the 

 Midi — such as the Starling, Firecrest,, Stock-Dove, Wigeon, 



