ADDITIONS SINCE 1899. 251 



be said that the present distribution of these birds in the 

 nesting season embraces a wide area in the northern half of 

 Scotland, both along the backbone of the country, and the 

 liigh mountains of the great divide between east and west, 

 and also the main divide between north and south, or the 

 ranges and their spurs of the Grampians " (J. A. Harvie- 

 Brown, Fauna Tay Basin, etc., pp. 132-134). 



Numbers were seen in Mid-Atlantic on migration, ap- 

 parently travelling due eastwards, on lltli to 14tli October, 

 1902, in Lat. 45°-50° N., Long. 15° W. They were seen singly 

 and in twos and threes. They were travelling with a buoyant, 

 undulating flight, showed no signs of fatigue, and " circled 

 round the big Uner (running 18 or 19 miles an hour) as if she 

 were standing still " (A. L. Butler, Ihis, 1904, p. 304). 



STARLING Sturnus vulgaris L. S. page 227. 



MIGRATIONS. 



The Starling was one of the eight species whose migratory 

 movements were worked out in detail by Mr. Eagle Clarke 

 for the British Association Committee on Migration, and his 

 "Summary" was pubhshed in the Report for 1903. 



He shows that besides the regular migrations performed 

 by this bird it is also subject to a number of movements which 

 are partially or wholly irregular in nature, and dependent on 

 a variety of causes, some of which are purely local in origin. 



The regular movements he divides into (a) The migrations 

 of the British Starhng (i.) within our own area ; and (ii.) 

 their passage to and from winter quarters beyond our shores ; 

 and {b) the migrations of birds from the continent to or through 

 Britain in the autumn, with a similar return passage in the 

 spring. 



Briefly summarised in chronological order, these movements 

 are thus given : — 



1. In June the young of the first brood gather together 

 and lead a roving life, visiting the coasts, etc. 



2. Later in the summer old and young flock together, 

 and in the autumn many seek winter quarters in the west 

 and south of Great Britain and Ireland. 



3. A portion of our Starlings, especially those from the 

 more northern and elevated districts, leave us in early autumn 

 to winter in south-west Europe, etc. 



4. From late September to early November vast numbers 

 of Starlings arrive on the south-east coast from central Europe. 

 Many of these winter in England and Ireland, Avhile others 

 passon to south-west Europe. 



