9 



32 



After considering the above evidence, it may be asked in 

 conclusion, " Does the migration of the Yellow-browed Warbler 

 whose appearance on Heligoland is said in another place to be 

 due to the prevalence of meteorological conditions of a peculiar 

 nature, and therefore more or less accidental, afford proof of any 

 value that the normal course of migration is due east to west, and 

 that many other species having their homes in far Eastern Asia 

 travel to their winter quarters by an identical route ? 



In the case of Richard's Pipit to which Herr Giitke also 

 refers so very frequently, we have another species whose breeding- 

 range is very imperfectly known, and we find the same ten- 

 dency on the part of the author to refer to the extreme eastern 

 limits of its known extent, as the district from which the remark- 

 able flights passing through Heligoland are derived. To the 

 writer there seems to be absolutely no need to assign the 

 countries east of Lake Baikal and those bordering on the Sea 

 of Ochotsk as the summer home of these particular individuals. 

 Herr Giitke seems to have quite overlooked the fact that the 

 late Hy. Seebohm found this Pipit very common at Yenesaisk, 

 some 800 miles nearer Heligoland than Dauria and 1,600 miles 

 nearer than the Sea of Ochotok. True, he did not take a nest, 

 but then at the time of his visit the breeding season was over, 

 and if it is objected that the individuals he met with were 

 already on migration, then their presence at Yenesaisk throws 

 considerable light on the leisurely manner in which the species 

 performs its flights. To the writer there can be little doubt 

 that Richard's Pipit breeds much nearer to Europe than even 

 Yenesaisk and possibly within its boundaries, for it seems highly 

 improbable that any species could have acquired the habit of 

 crossing half of the continent of Asia and the whole of Europe in 

 search of a winter home. Like the Yellow-browed Warbler, the 

 normal course of migration in the case of Richard's Pipit is from 

 north to south or thereabouts. Why certain meteorological 

 conditions should effect such small numbers of the former 

 species in comparison with the latter is incomprehensible. To 

 the writer the prevalence of south-easterly winds at the time of 

 migration does not afford at all an adequate explanation of the 

 fact that only a limited number of individuals should be induced 



