1920.] 



of the Migratory Flight of Birds. 



923 



evidence as a result o£ interrogating some five or six hundred 

 pilots of the Royal Air Force between 191G and 1918, all 

 records being from north-eastern France. 



Lapwings. — 14 records between 2000 and 8500 feet, the 

 majority between 5000 and GOOO feet. In flocks on 

 botli passages, the earliest spring record being on 

 1. ii. and the earliest autumn record being on 15. vii. 



Lapwings. — 26. ii. 17 at 6000 feet, flying at 50 m.p.h. air 

 speed against a strong N. wind, when the surface 

 wind was south. 



Before I received a copy of this number of ' The Ibis,' 

 I had already put an advertisement in ' The Times' asking 

 pilots for any notes on this subject. All pilots agreed that 

 birds \vere seldom seen at over 2000 feet or so, and that if 

 birds were observed it was a noteworthy phenomenon. Also 

 that if birds had been about they would most certainly have 

 been spotted by the trained observers watching for hostile 

 aircraft. The results are given overleaf, but, as was to be 

 expected, I received many replies of the following nature. 

 " On April 1st I was surprised to meet 40 cock Ostriches at 

 17,000 feet. I attacked them at once and broke up the 

 formation. One nose-dived on to the General's tent whilst 

 another crashed into our cook-house." 



