24 



Herr Gatke's view this migration of Honey Buzzards was con- 

 ducted in the normal way, i.e., in a broad front, the following 

 extract from his notes will illustrate. He writes, p. 29 : 

 "The fact that the Honey Buzzard does not reach Portugal 

 , also proves what has been already called attention 

 to, in regard to Hooded Crows, that it is not the sight of the sea 

 which induces birds migrating in a westerly direction to turn 

 suddenly south, but that this deviation forms, from no account- 

 able cause, the concluding stage of the westerly course of 

 migration. A similar phenomenon is presented by the same 

 bird in England. In that country the Honey Buzzard is met 

 with as a breeding species only in solitary instances, but arrives 

 in tolerably large numbers on the east coast during the autumn 

 migration. Such examples as originate from the northern limits 

 of their breeding zone in Europe and Asia, bring their westerly 

 flight to an early close in England, when, then turning south, they 

 pass, via Western France and Spain to their winter quarters in 

 Africa." 



It will certainly be news to British ornithologists to learn, 

 that the Honey Buzzard arrives in tolerably large numbers on 

 the east coast during the autumn migration. Surely Herr Gatke 

 is thinking of the Bough-legged Buzzard. Furthermore, to the 

 writer, it does seem to be the sea that turns these northern bred 

 birds to the south, otherwise they would reach the Shetlands, 

 Orkneys and North of Scotland coasts rather than the east 

 coasts of England. If taken at all the turn no doubt actually 

 takes place in Scandinavia. 



In further consideration of an east-to-west migration we may 

 now turn to another interesting, but more common species, 

 viz., the Shore Lark. As can be readily proved from pretty 

 conclusive evidence, this species within the last fifty years 

 has undoubtedly been extending its breeding range westward. 

 In the light of this fact its gradually increasing abundance 

 on passage at Heligoland is significant, for it is one of those 

 species occurring in great flights to which Herr Gatke attributes 

 a far eastern origin. With regard to its former breeding 

 range he has collected the following facts " According to 

 Pallas (" Zoogr. Eoss. Asiat.," pub. 1811), the bird was in 



