190 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



Those on the north, which we visited most, were 

 tenanted for the greater part of our stays by vast 

 numbers of Fulmars ; and it is doubtful under these 

 circumstances whether they would afford an agreeable 

 resting-place for migrants. 



Turning now to the results obtained through the 

 investigations, these, it may at once be stated, greatly 

 exceeded my most sanguine expectations ; for I was 

 quite prepared to find evidence of a negative nature at 

 such a far-western and remote station. I saw much 

 migration there on both my visits, though the weather 

 conditions during the whole of September and the early 

 days of October in 1910 and 191 1 were distinctly 

 unfavourable for great movements between the British 

 Isles and the continent of Europe, and none were 

 observed either at St Kilda or elsewhere. The types of 

 weather alluded to resulted in winds persistently rang- 

 ing from north to south by west. They were easterly, 

 but unsettled, on one or two occasions only. The 

 result of these weather influences was that the migrants 

 moved southwards towards their winter quarters in 

 dribblets and largely escaped notice, as they always do 

 under such circumstances. The persistency of this 

 westerly type of weather was most tantalising, and it 

 is surprising that under its baneful influence so many 

 migrants from the Continent came under notice. In 

 191 1 the conditions were particularly unfavourable for 

 the visits of migrants coming from the eastwards. 

 Fortunately the weather changed during the early 

 days of October, and then many of these feathered 

 visitors rewarded our researches. This westerly type 

 of weather, however, does not interfere with the 

 continuous arrival of such species as are derived from 



