276 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



in rushes, that corresponded with similar extensive 

 incursions on the distant coast. 



The Sky-lark is perhaps even more interesting in 

 its autumnal invasion of the coasts of the northern 

 shires. Every autumn, especially towards the end 

 of October or early in November, incredible numbers 

 of Sky-larks cross the German Ocean both by day 

 and by night, and land in the district of the Wash, 

 to name but one locality, although similar phenomena 

 may be witnessed here and there from one end of 

 our eastern coast-line to the other, from September 

 onwards. Year after year have we seen this autumn 

 invasion of the Sky-lark. Day and night the migra- 

 tion continues, the birds coming in from the sea in 

 flocks and smaller parties, flying at a moderate 

 height, say from thirty to fifty yards above the earth, 

 and in a by no means hurried manner. We have 

 repeatedly noticed a few birds commence to warble 

 the moment they left the sea and reached the land. 

 Many thousands of these birds continue their way 

 south along the coast, doubtless in some cases to 

 follow the rivers inland; others fly inland over the 

 fields, continuing the exact direction of the course fol- 

 lowed over the sea. In the same district the autumnal 

 passage of the Hooded Crow is little if any less im- 

 pressive. This migration usually commences about 

 the middle of October, and lasts about a month. 

 The arrival of this bird in the Wash district is almost 



