THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 225 



an essentially different character from those which have been dis- 

 cussed in detail in the section on migration, for whereas the almost 

 complete absence, for some considerable time now, of light south- 

 east winds must undoubtedly be regarded as the cause of the rare 

 appearance of other eastern and south-eastern species, this cannot 

 possibly apply to the small Flycatcher, for, unlike these species, this 

 bird has never arrived here with south-east winds and calm, warm 

 weather, but mostly with rather strong north-west winds and ra^r 

 weather. A still more surprising fact in regard to an insectivorous 

 bird so small and delicate as this species is, is the late time of its 

 arrival, which generally falls about October; but there are instances 

 of its having occurred as late as the end of November, viz. : on 

 the 23rd, 28th, and 29th, and once, indeed, as late as the 8th of 

 December. Moreover, the three examples hitherto observed in 

 England were also met with in October and November, and one of 

 them even in January. 



These birds, as one might expect, were observed in the milder 

 south-western portion of the country. Two of the birds, in the 

 course of their migration westwards, got as far as the Scilly Islands, 

 and as it is hardly likely that it was their purpose to winter there, 

 we are led to conclude that the line of flight of this species, after 

 proceeding for a space in a westerly direction, finally assumes a 

 southerly turn. 



It may, perhaps, appear a bold venture on the part of so small 

 a bird to undertake a journey from the Scilly Islands to Spain at 

 this late and generally stormy season of the year. We have, how- 

 ever, seen how a bird like the Golden-crested Wren, which is still 

 smaller and certainly weaker than the Flycatcher, arrives here on 

 pitch dark and stormy nights in October, and continues its journey 

 over the North Sea to England. After this the flight of this Fly- 

 catcher will cease to strike us as an extraordinary performance. 



I have only once obtained this small Flycatcher during the spring, 

 nor have I observed it on any other occasion since. This fact, also, 

 supports the view that those of the birds which migrate via Heligo- 

 land in the autumn, either turn in their flight towards the south 

 as soon as they reach the eastern and central parts of England, and 

 thence cross the Channel, or, as was the case with the three before- 

 mentioned examples that they reach the extreme western portions 

 of the country, and then turning south, cross over into Spain. In 

 the spring, on the other hand, as is the case with many other 

 eastern species comparatively abundant here in autumn but hardly 

 ever met with in spring these birds similarly travel from their 

 winter quarters in the south to their homes in the north in a direct 

 line instead of taking the circuitous route by which they reached 



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