278 THE MIGRATIOX OF BRITISH BIRDS 



matter how severe the winter ma}- be on the Continent, 

 the Pine Grosbeak, the Nutcracker, the Crested Lark, 

 or the Central Russian Bkic Tit {Pants pleskii) will 

 never normall}- cross the North Sea in quest of food 

 in company with the vast flights of Starlings and Sky- 

 Larks, and other well-known indigenous species that we 

 know even in midwinter pass to and fro in response to 

 falling temperature or storms. The Siberian Jay, an 

 inhabitant of the pine forests of North Russia, never 

 wanders to our area in quest of food, although the 

 Hooded Crow which frequents the same forests pours 

 into England to winter, and is known to cross over to 

 us as late as December ! The Snow Bunting is more or 

 less on passage to and from our islands and the Continent 

 all the winter through, but the Shore Lark is only an 

 abnormal visitor on spring and autumn passage. The 

 Northern Bullfinch [Pyrrliula major) never visits our 

 area in winter in company with the hosts of Finches 

 that cross the North Sea prompted by severe weather. 

 The Crested Tit never crosses to us from the pine and 

 oak forests of Germany and Holland, yet the Blue Tit 

 does so in considerable numbers ; the emigration of the 

 former species was entirely continental, that of the 

 latter parth- continental and partly from a British base 

 across the North Sea plains. What I want therefore to 

 impress upon the reader is that no matter how extensive 

 this winter movement may be, no matter how birds 

 ma}' wander to and fro in response to variations of 

 weather, such journeys all take place within the normal 

 area of distribution of such species, and within the limits 

 of their usual migrations. These movements are not in 

 any sense analogous to what is presumed to have taken 



