INTRODUCTION. xxv 



generally supposed. Much of this migration is of a nomadic chiiracter, or is 

 displayed in the form of vertical migration in so many mountain species. Many 

 of these movements are at present little understood, and the data concerning 

 them is of the most meagre character. The migrations of some of the Grouse 

 are exceptionally interesting. Thus the Prairie Hen (Tympanuchus americanus) 

 is said by competent observers to migrate as regularly as the Canada Goose. In 

 November and December large flocks of this Grouse come from Northern Iowa 

 and Southern Minnesota to winter in Northern Missouri and Southern Iowa. 

 The return migration is performed in March and April. It is a curious fact that 

 the migratory individuals are said to be females only, but this is possibly not 

 universal, and may be similar to the movements of the Chaffinch. The most 

 typical migrant amongst the Game Birds is the Quail. Its seasonal movements 

 are not only regular, but take place over wide areas of country, often in vast 

 numbers. In the next group, the Eails, we have species of much more pro- 

 nounced and regular migration (our own Corn Crake furnishes a capital example). 

 Even more strongly of migratory habits are the Cranes, although it may be 

 remarked that the allied Trumpeters and the Kagu are eminently sedentary. 



We now come to the most thoroughly typical migrants of all the land birds 

 treated in the present volume, the great cosmopolitan order of the Charadrii- 

 formes. It is true that many of the species that compose it are of sedentary 

 habits, but the majority of them are birds of passage. Every kind of migrational 

 movement finds its representative in this order, from the nomadic or vertical 

 migrant to the feathered pilgrim that crosses half the world in its annual 

 passage. The Coursers, Pratincoles and Phalaropes may be classed among the 

 most sedentary species, as the Sandpipers, Turnstones and Plovers rank as the 

 greatest migrants. Little less famous as migrants are the Ducks and their allied 

 forms, the annual movements of so many of these birds being too familiar to 

 require description in detail here. We may remark, however, that if the 

 migrations of birds of the Duck tribe are regular and pronounced, they are not 

 so extended as in the preceding order ; whilst there can be little or no doubt that 

 a much greater percentage of the species are sedentary, especially in the tropics 

 and the Southern hemisphere. 



We now propose to bring the present chapter to a conclusion by a brief 

 description of the spring and autumn aspects of the migrations of the British 

 species of Game Birds and Wild Fowl as they are presented in our area. So far 

 as our Islands are concerned, migration is very sparsely demonstrated by Game 

 Birds and Pigeons. Some of our Grouse are certainly subject to marked if 

 slight vertical migration, and there appears to be some amount of nomadic 

 movement during winter. The Quail is the sole strictly migratory species. Our 

 Pigeons are all sedentary in the sense of not crossing the seas, but large numbers 

 of Eing Doves and smaller numbers of Stock Doves visit us in autumn and 

 winter from Continental areas. The Turtle Dove is the only migratory species, 



