BIRD NOTES 131 



of the North Sea benefits by their numbers, just 

 as a south-easterly wind puts the flocks this way. 

 Birds appear to prefer a side wind rather than 

 one behind them, and least of all a head wind. 

 Should opposing winds be weak, however, they 

 do not object to them, as was seen in October 1903, 

 when for days following the 16th incredible numbers 

 of Corvidce and other land-birds came over. On the 

 other hand, wading birds were conspicuously absent. 

 Quite a rush of migratorial birds occurred on 

 5th September 1897. Several were killed by night- 

 fall. This rush, I thought at the time, portended 

 a shift of the wind, which had been continuously 

 west-south-west for several days ; and within twelve 

 hours of my recording my impression, and seeing 

 the birds on the move, the wind veered round to 

 the east. On a game stall on the 6th I noticed the 

 following birds : 



10 Bar-tailed Godwits. 



9 Curlew-Sandpipers. 



i Reeve. 

 20 Knots. 



i Sheld-duck (immature), 

 i Greenshank. 



1 Scaup (female). 



2 Kingfishers. 



The following entries may be of interest : 



Nov. 23, 1897. Extraordinarily thick fog. 

 Nov. 84. Night noisy with cries of Plovers : this 



