INTRODUCTION. xi 



Committee of the British Association, for several years omitted 

 all reference to the Western coast of Britain, while the south 

 coast was never taken in hand by any south-country naturalist. 

 We are grateful, nevertheless, for their services, and the notes 

 furnished from the Eddystone and Start Lighthouses are extremely 

 instructive as far as they go. Studying these last, in conjunction 

 with the land notes of Mr. (xatcombe, we infer that many 

 Wagtails, Wheatears and other small passerine birds cross the 

 English Channel in spring and autumn, making the sea passage 

 between the coasts of France and those of our own S.W. 

 peninsular. Numerous Thrushes, Larks and other birds pass up 

 and down the Irish Channel in spring and autumn, and some 

 of these probably visit the Devon coast. But the greater number 

 of species appear to come from the eastward, or north-east, both 

 in spring and autumn. At the latter season, the Pomatorhine 

 Skuas leave their breeding quarters in Nova Zemblya, pass down 

 the North Sea, but instead of entering the Baltic, or following 

 the course of continental rivers, the greater number appear to 

 enter the English Channel, thence working westward to enter the 

 Atlantic, but appearing in force in Torbay and similar situations- 

 if heavy gales drive them from the open sea. The migration of 

 the Grey Phalarope, as illustrated by the facts brought together in 

 the article on that species, points to a similar conclusion. 



Numerous species of Waders follow the coastline of Southern 

 England westward in their autumnal migration. The Little 

 Stint is a scarce bird on the coast of South Devon, but it recurs 

 year after year on the Warren at Exmouth, a favourite place of 

 call for many species of birds. Wigeon, Pintail and other wild 

 ducks in like manner work westward along our coast, upon which 

 they had possibly arrived from the opposite coast of Holland. 



Inland routes exist also , indeed, a great highway of birds 

 extends from the Wash to the Bristol Channel, the birds working 

 up the river valleys, from North-east to South-west in autumn 

 and sometimes returning by that or some similar route in spring. 



