4 THE SONG THRUSH. 



some springs, such as those which followed the severe 

 winters of 1879-80 and 1880-81, no Thrushes were observed 

 at any of the lighthouses on the east coast of Scotland.^ 



A portion of the migrants which come across the North 

 Sea in autumn make their way to Berwickshire, and swell 

 the ranks of our resident birds. During their sojourn 

 here they are often seen in great numbers amongst turnips, 

 by partridge-shooters in September and October, where 

 they appear to be engaged in searching for worms and 

 insects. They rise singly out of the drills from under the 

 leaves, as the sportsman advances, and, after flying a short 

 distance, alight again. Having remained a few weeks 

 with us, and having been joined by a great proportion of 

 our native Thrushes, they proceed on migration to the 

 south, like — 



The birds that bring summer, and fly when 'tis o'er. 



Moore. 



spring migration, that the reason why fewer birds are then observed at the 

 lighthouses, as compared with autumn, is probably due to the fact that, iu 

 spring, birds migrate, with rare exceptions, at night ; and, as the weather is then 

 finer and the nights clearer and shorter, they do not run their heads so much 

 against the lanterns of the lighthouses and lightships. The spring migration is 

 also carried on more leisurely — migration proceeding by easy stages northward. — 

 Report on Migration of Birds : Spring and Autumn of 1880, p. 31. 



1 Autumn \d>12. — Song Thrushes were observed on migration, at lighthouses 

 on east coast of Scotland, from 16th Sep. to 25th Oct. ; at Fame Islands, front 

 15th Oct. to 5th Dec. Spring 1880.— No records from east coast of Scot- 

 land, or from Fames, of any Song Thrushes being seen. Autumn 1880. — No 

 records from east coast of Scotland. At Farnes, seen from 29th Oct. to 26th 

 Nov. Spring 1881. — No records from east coast of Scotland ; at Farnes, on 

 2nd May, some Song Thrushes seen. Autwnn 1881. — Records from east coast 

 of Scotland, including Isle of May, from 22nd Sep. to 8th Dec. ; at Farnes, 

 from 18th to 23rd Oct. Spring 1882. — No records from east coast of Scotland 

 or from Farnes. Autumn 1882. — Records from east coast of Scotland, includ- 

 ing Isle of May — Earliest at Isle of May, 22nd Sep. ; at Farnes, 27th Sep. to 15th 

 Jan. 1883. Spring 1883.— East coast of Scotland— From 2nd Feb. to 10th May, 

 at Bell Rock ; on 2nd March, at Isle of May ; at Fames, from 20th Jan. to 10th 

 May. Autumn 1883. — East coast of Scotland— Two seen at Isle of May on 2Sth 

 Aug. (the earliest yet recorded iu Scotland in autumn) and vast flocks from 

 .30th Oct. to 3rd Nov. ; at Farnes, 21st Sep. to 2ud Jan. 1884. Spring 1884.— 

 East coast of Scotland— At Isle of May, 2nd Feb. to 30th April ; at Farnes, 6th 

 March to 1st May. Autumn 1884. — East coast of Scotland. — At Isle of May, 

 11th Sep. to 22nd Dec. ; at Farnes, 18th Oct. to 12th Nov.— Extracts from 

 Reports on the Migration of Birds, from 1879 to 1884. 



