272 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



constantly pouring into our islands from the north 

 and north-east; in October the general trend of 

 migration falls to nearly due east, and from this date 

 onwards some of the most wonderful scenes imagin- 

 able are to be witnessed upon many parts of our 

 eastern coast-line, more especially between Spurn 

 in Yorkshire and the Wash in Lincolnshire. Our 

 own observations principally refer, so far as this 

 grand avine movement is concerned, to the latter 

 district. Here season after season we have watched 

 during the late October and early November days 

 that wonderful influx of feathered life that breaks 

 like the waves of the ocean upon the shore, often 

 in such multitudes as to defy estimation. Indeed, 

 we know of no other place on the entire coast-line 

 of the British Islands where the fascinating phe- 

 nomenon of migration can be studied to better 

 advantage. Along this coast, at intervals during 

 the autumn, birds literally pour in from across the 

 North Sea, or are tempted to loiter upon it when 

 following the entire line of our eastern sea-board 

 to winter quarters far to the south of the British 

 archipelago. Few wilder districts can be imagined, 

 few more monotonous, and even dreary, than the 

 vast expanses of mud and sand that fringe the 

 Wash. At high-water the tide comes up close to 

 the huge banks that extend along the coast here, 

 erected for the purpose of keeping out the sea from 



