2i6 THE MIGRATION OF BRITISH BIRDS 



England, or even absent altogether from that area 

 which are commonly distributed or at least present in 

 more easterly localities. Among such species we may 

 mention the Redstart, which is very local west of 

 Somerset ; the Wheatear, which is only seen sparingly 

 in spring, although further east it literally swarms all 

 along the area of the Downs ; the Whinchat, which is 

 equally local in Devon and Cornwall, and only known 

 on abnormal flight on the Scilly Islands, but abundant 

 and widely distributed in more easterly localities ; the 

 Nightingale, absent altogether west of Somerset ; the 

 Lesser Whitethroat, very scarce and local in South Devon, 

 and only an abnormal migrant to Cornwall ; the Reed 

 Warbler, absent from the entire south-west, except as 

 an abnormal migrant ; the Tree Pipit, decidedly more 

 rare and local in the south-west than elsewhere ; the 

 Pied Flycatcher, only in limited numbers on migration 

 (I have seen one example in four years), and might 

 almost be classed as abnormal ; the Wryneck, much 

 more rare and local in the west than the east ; the 

 Turtle Dove, rare east of Devon ; the Corncrake, much 

 rarer and more local in the west than the east ; the 

 Kentish Plover, normally entirely absent, although one 

 might have expected it to pass our entire southern 

 coasts on migration ; the Wood and Green Sandpipers, 

 much less frequent in the south-west than in the eastern 

 counties. I may here remark that the species entirely 

 absent from the south-west of England, and obviously 

 only entering our area further east, would have to 

 migrate south in spring to reach that district, an 

 extension of area contrary to Law ; whilst the extreme 

 localness of other species proves that they do not enter 



