MarsJi. 



185 



But it is in the winter that the bird life of these marshes} 

 is most interesting. Though our summer songsters have then 

 ended their visits, and have left our shores for milder climes, 

 either to revel in sunny Mediterranean skies, or to bathe in 

 tropical sunshine, these marshes still swarm with feathered) 

 inhabitants. The rarer natives are then increased in num- 

 bers by migrating hordes from more northem latitudes, 

 whilst many visitors come, which are never to be seen in 



FIG. 39. BRENT GOOSE (Vulpauser tadonia). 



summer time. From the pine forests of Scandinavia and 

 Russia come buntings, fieldfares and redwings ; from the 

 islands of the Arctic Ocean, the turnstone, sanderling and 

 snow bunting ; whilst the siskin leaves its furze bushes in 

 the far, far north, and joins the ring-ouzel from the burns 

 and torrents of Scotland in its journey hither. Then, too, 

 the hooded crow comes inland for food, whilst the common 

 gull, the blackheaded gull and the lesser black-headed gull 



