34 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



woods of the oolite hills in the East Riding. In Cleveland 

 it is not to be called an abundant species ; the late Canon 

 Atkinson ("British Birds' Eggs," 1861, p. 54), deplored 

 its decrease in the Danby district, still in favourable situations 

 it may always be found in summer if looked for, and it is 

 particularly numerous in Bilsdale and the neighbouring 

 valleys ; its numbers, however, have decreased of late years, 

 especially in the vicinity of the large towns ; it appears 

 to be much scarcer than formerly in Holderness, though 

 more have nested in Boynton Park than in an equal area 

 anywhere else in the county. 



During the vernal migration it frequently arrives in 

 company with Pied Flycatchers, as at Flamborough on 3rd 

 May 1885, and 26th April, and I3th to I5th May 1886 

 (Seventh and Eighth Migration Reports, pp. 41 and 31) ; it 

 is also recorded so long ago as 1877 amongst those birds that 

 are killed by striking against the lantern, and other cases 

 have occurred since that year. But, although the Redstart 

 is well known as a regular spring migrant and is often seen 

 at the light-stations in large numbers at that season, it is 

 only the close attention paid to migration in recent years 

 that has been the means of making us acquainted, in common 

 with many hitherto unknown phases of bird life, with its 

 annual autumnal movements, and as is shewn, it comes in 

 August, September, and October from more northerly latitudes 

 on its passage southward to Africa, being then associated with 

 the Wheatear to such an extent that it is difficult to disconnect 

 the two. Probably the earliest mention of its autumn migra- 

 tion was recorded by Edward Blyth in Rennie's Field 

 Naturalist (November 1833), and referred to one of these 

 birds coming on board ship whilst off the Yorkshire coast, 

 ten or twelve miles from Redcliff. 



The Reports issued by the British Association Migration 

 Committee contain numerous entries connected with the 

 Redstart's autumnal passage ; the first of these is from 

 Redcar, dated I5th September 1880, when I noted great 

 numbers at the Tees Breakwater, and remarked that the 



