NATURE IN MARCH. I. 45 



exception perhaps of the Wheatear and the Chiff Chaff generally 

 appear early in April. 



Many migrants vary a great deal as to the date they arrive, 

 and the forwardness or backwardness of the season seems to 

 affect their coming. I have heard the Stone Curlew in March, 

 April, and May for . the first time; the latter month may 

 be generally accepted as the more usual time for its arrival. 

 It is said that a few of these birds remain with us the whole 

 year through. 



With the advent of glorious April, when the hedgerows are 

 bursting forth in all their pristine beauty and splendour, and 

 more wild flowers garnish the country side, the climax is reached. 

 It is early in this month that the Sand Martin reaches us, and 

 it is interesting to note that this useful little bird the smallest 

 of the Swallow tribeusually precedes by a few days the 

 Swallow and the House Martin. 



The Cuckoo comes in April, and I always have my suspicions 

 that the early birds we hear so much about are Cuckoo clocks or 

 ploughboys. The Redstart called in many localities the Firetail 

 because of its beautiful flame-coloured tail feathers also reaches 

 us during the fourth month, and the same may be said of the 

 Grasshopper Warbler, the Whinchat, the Blackcap considered 

 by some Naturalists little inferior to the Nightingale in song 

 the Nightingale the males of the latter arriving about ten days 

 before the females and the Wryneck. I should have placed 

 this bird before the Cuckoo, for the reason that it has acquired 

 the name of " Cuckoo's Mate" or "Messenger," inasmuch as 

 it is usually amongst us a little previous to that bird. 



The beautiful Tree Pipit also arrives in April, and if you 



'Know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, 

 Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,' 



there, if there are trees hard by, you will very probably meet 

 with this bird for the first time. 



The Common Sandpiper, Corncrake, Spotted Crake, Ring 

 Ouzel, Hobby Falcon, Kentish Plover, Red Backed Shrike 

 better known in the country as the Butcher Bird Sedge 

 Warbler, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler, Turtle Dove and 

 Yellow Wagtail, alPfind their way to the British Isles during April. 



