Migralion of Birds in South Africa. ^3 



able to obtain the services of: 6000 assistants, as has been 

 done by Mr. Hermann in Hunoary, but I hope we may be 

 be able to throw some further light on the subject in this way. 

 Appended is the form of the leaflet which it is proposed to 

 issue and the schedule for observation records. 



Notes on Afethods for Recording the Migration of Birds. 



It is of very great scientific interest to obtain information 

 about the movements or migration of Birds, as very little is 

 known on the subject in South Africa. 



In South Africa, Birds may be divided into four classes as 

 far as migration is concerned : — 



(1) Migrants from the Northern Hemisphere, /. e. Birds 



which breed in Euro})e or Asia during the Northern 

 summer and which come southwards as far as South 

 Africa between the months of October and March to 

 avoid the European winter, but which do not, as a rule, 

 breed here. Examples are : the European Swallow, 

 the Flycatcher, the Roller or Bluejay, Montague^s 

 Harrier, and many shore and wading birds, such as the 

 Ruff, Sanderling, Turnstone, and Kentish Plover. 



(2) African Migrants. — These spend the Southern summer 



months (October to March) in South Africa and breed 

 there and move off, probably into tropical Africa, 

 during our winter. Examples are : the Stripe-breasted 

 Swallow, the Red-chested Cuckoo, and many others. 



(o) Wanderers. — Birds which move from place to place in 

 an irregular manner, probably due to the presence or 

 absence of food-supplies. Snch are the Locust Birds, 

 the Wattled Starling, and Nordmann's Pratincole, also 

 the Cape Quail, as well as many others. 



(4) Residents. — Birds which remain in the same place all 

 the year round and hardly move away at all. Such are 

 the Turtle and Laughing Doves, the Cape Sparrow, the 

 Thrush, Fiscal and many others. 



Between these various classes there are doubtless many 

 birds which are intermediate in habit and which do not 



