66 



currents were recorded, thus illustrating that there was no real 

 constancy in any one direction. It has already been pointed out 

 that in Herr Gatke' s opinion it is these winds which have the 

 extraordinary effect of turning a small proportion of certain 

 migrating species from their normal course in favour of a long 

 land- journey to the west of Europe, from whence very few of 

 them ever return. 



As an illustration of the danger of drawing conclusions from 

 the presence of a particular species of bird at the periods of 

 migration, without its full geographical distribution being known, 

 the following forms a striking case : In this particular year, 

 viz., 1847, to which reference has already been made, Herr 

 Gatke records the fact of the unprecedented number of Mealy 

 Redpolls which visited Heligoland. These he informs us were 

 mixed to the extent of about one-third with individuals of what 

 he terms the eastern form, i.e., F. exilipes ; further remarking 

 that Redpolls are altogether of an extremely rare occurrence 

 in Heligoland. The Mealy Redpoll, as is well known, is fairly 

 common throughout northern and north-eastern Europe, and, 

 moreover, is a very hardy species, and which ought to be con- 

 sidered perhaps more of a gipsy, than a regular migrant, and 

 to the writer there is absolutely no evidence that these flocks 

 came from the far east. With regard to F. exilipes the history 

 of the geographical range of this species or form will in the 

 opinion of the writer find its parallel in the cases of Anthus 

 Richardi and P. superciliosus at some future date when their full 

 extent is known. 



Messrs. Pearson in their trip to Russian Lapland, found this 

 Redpoll breeding pretty commonly near the village of Lutni, 

 where they state it was the Redpoll of the district (Ibis, 1896). 

 No doubt further research will reveal the fact that it occurs 

 throughout northern Russia in comparative plenty. Thus it 

 seems far more probable that the large flights of Redpolls at 

 Heligoland in 1847 came from the north of Europe and not from 

 the far east. In passing it may also be pointed out that the 

 Northern Bullfinch is another species to which Herr Gatke also 

 alludes as an eastern one, as though it were absolutely confinec 

 to the continent of Asia. 



