NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



63 



MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS FROM ENGLAND. In September and 

 October the greater portion of our summer visitants are nearly 

 all gone or going. Among these we may mention the nightin- 

 gale, redstart, wryneck, cuckoo (the old cuckoos are gone, but a 

 few young are still left), flycatchers, warblers, turtle-doves, goat- 

 suckers, tree-pipits, shrikes, grasshopper larks. A few of the 

 following still remain : Blackcap, chiff-chaff, meadow pipit, 

 White's wagtail, Ray's wagtail, willow-wren, wheatear, large and 

 lesser whitethroat, &c. These are soft billed or soft meat birds, 

 which leave England in the autumn. About the same time that 

 these birds leave us, others arrive, such as goldfinches, woodlarks, 

 skylarks, linnets, redpoles, twites, siskins, and snowbuntings. 

 About the second week in September, the flights of these com- 

 mence and last for three weeks or a month. The autumn arrivals 

 are seed-eating birds. The London bird-catchers at this " flight 

 time," go down to the south coast for their harvest, and take 

 large quantities of the arriving birds, many thousands are sent 

 up weekly to London for cage birds, and to be kept for their 

 song. At the end of March the birds which left us in Septem- 

 ber and October begin to return to this country. 



BIRDS SEEN AT KIMBERLF.Y, NORFOLK. The Eev. F. 0. Morris 

 thus writes in Land and Water: "I received the following list 

 of birds seen at or near Kimberley (Norfolk), from the Earl of 

 Kimberlpy, about a fortnight ago, and I have his permission to 

 send it to you for publication : 



The Golden Eagle twice seen 



Osprey several times ; remains 

 sometimes fishing for several 



Buzzard occasionally, now 



Kite I have seen once. 

 Peregrine Falcon I have seen 



Hobby, latterly none seen. 

 Kestrel, common. 

 Sparrowhawk, common. 

 Long-eared Owl, not uncom- 



Tawny Owl, formerly common, 



1. 

 here. 



2. 



here 

 days. 



3. 

 rare. 



4. 



5. 

 once. 



6. 



7. 



8. 



9. 



mon. 

 10. 

 now rare. 



11. White Owl numerous, since I 

 have prevented the gamekeepers from 

 destroying them. 



12. Grey Shrike, seen occasionally, 

 but rare. 



13. Red-backed Shrike, seen occa- 

 sionally, but rare ; I saw a pair this 

 September. 



14. Great Tit, common. 



15. Cole Tit, common. 



16. Blue Tit, common. 



17. Marsh Tit, common. 



18. Long-tailed Tit, common. 



19. Spotted Flycatcher, common. 



20. Kingfisher frequent; particu- 

 larly abundant this year, owing, no 

 doubt, to recent mild winters. In 

 long severe frosts we have found 

 many dead. 



21. Ravens used to breed (one 

 pair) here every year, now seldom 

 seen ; I saw a pair two years ago. 



22. Crow, not many. 



23. Hooded Crow, numerous in 

 winter. 



24. Rook, very numerous. 



25. Jackdaw, very numerous. 



