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desire to migrate westward was also developed, until it found 

 vent in a voluntary move into eastern Asia. 



It is curious to read on p. 122 that, whereas, all species in 

 Western Europe have a strong disinclination to migrate to the 

 east, this objection ceases to exist on the American shores of 

 the Atlantic. The Nearctic birds are said to evince as strong a 

 tendency to turn to the west, as Asiatic species are said to be 

 given to migrating in the reverse direction. The northern Blue- 

 throat occasionally appears in Alaska. Are we therefore to 

 assume a tendency on the part of this species to migrate in the 

 opposite direction to the Shore Lark ? In the case of the latter 

 it will be noted that Herr Gatke writes of a westerly autumn 

 migration. It seems hardly likely, however, that a species whose 

 normal flight must have been north to south in its original home, 

 should have suddenly developed a tendency to migrate westwards 

 on first establishing itself on the Asiatic continent ; a proceeding 

 more likely to have led to the extinction of the colonists than to 

 their future increase. Is it not more probable that these first 

 visitors to Asia accidentally * found their way thither in the 

 spring, and after having bred there, wintered in China or some 

 country in the south-east ; returning again to their new breeding 

 homes the following year, being guided in their movements by 

 surrounding species ? In passing it may be noted that the Shore 

 Lark breeds fairly numerously in Novaya Zemlya. A westward 

 autumnal migration would hardly have colonised this locality, 

 especially in view of Herr Gatke' s theories as bo the direct 

 manner in which birds that adopt this course return to their 

 breeding grounds in the spring (see p. 42). With regard to the 

 latter theory, the present species so far from adopting a straight 

 course from its winter quarters to its breeding grounds, passes 

 Heligoland at this period in considerable numbers. Wherever 

 these last are derived from, it is evident that their line of 

 flight is circuitous ; as in no locality so far south as the latitude 

 of the island is the species known to nest. It is a curious fact 

 that the Lapland Bunting, a species having a similar distribu- 

 tion in the breeding season to the Shore Lark should be of so 

 uncommon an occurrence in Heligoland, especially as of late 

 years considerable flocks have migrated to our east coast. But 



