BY SANDY SHORES. 243 



of September and March, these shores are 

 crowded with feathered refugees from the northern 

 snows and ice. Then, indeed, do our rambles 

 on them assume increased interest. Say at 

 migration time in autumn in October and the 

 first week in November when we may meet 

 with stranger birds at almost every step, and 

 listen to their wild cries and sweeter call-notes, 

 by day and by night, sounding clearly from the 

 sky. Of course, during migration time the 

 eastern coasts of the British Islands are thronged 

 the most ; swarming with migrants from over the 

 wild North Sea, from Scandinavia, from Den- 

 mark, from the tundras of Northern Russia even 

 from remote and sterile Spitzbergen and Nova 

 Zembla. For most of the birds that travel down 

 coast in autumn are gathered within the narrowing 

 North Sea, from the Orkneys to Dover, as in a 

 funnel, pressing on to our eastern sea-board in 

 countless multitudes. Here on the cold October 

 mornings we may see flocks of tiny GOLDCRESTS 

 from across the sea ; migratory SHORT-EARED 

 OWLS, just touched land after flying all night over 

 the waste of waters ; and here and there among 

 the long, dry grass on the sea-banks, tired-out 

 WOODCOCKS rise on unwilling wing, loth to leave 

 the warm shelter where they are dozing after 

 their long, dark flight. None of these birds will 

 remain long upon the coast they are all bound 

 for more inland haunts. Then flock after flock 

 of SKYLARKS pass along ; indeed, some days from 

 morn to night, and from night to morning again, 

 the air is filled with a constant straggling stream 

 of Larks, now in mighty hosts, anon in scattered 



