ON TKE 5[I(J RATION OF DIllDS. 



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this lias not, however, been the crise !it soa stations — that is, h'tjlit- 

 vcssels moored otl' the coast, at distances varying from live to fifty 

 miles. Here the stream of migration, so far from showing any abatc- 

 nient. has Hown steadily on in a fall tide: and, if we judge from <lu> 

 weil-lilled sishedules which have lieen returned, there has beoi a eou- 

 sidcnililo increase in the visible r.iigration, duo perhaps in some measui(> 

 to increased interest and improved observation. J^^r. William Stock, of 

 tiie Outer Dowsing iightvessel, ronuirks that he had never bei'oro seen so 

 many bii'ds pass that station ; the rush, also, across and past Heligoland in 

 theiiutnnm was enonnous. ]\Iigration is more marked, as well as concen- 

 trated there, than at any station on the English coast. Tliere was a 

 great moveraent of various species passing forward on the Glh and 7th of 

 August, and again on the; llth, and more pronounced still on the l21st 

 and 22ad, and on the 20th of August a similar movement was noticed at 

 the Isle of May, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth. It was not, however, 

 until September 21st and the two following days that the first great rush 

 occuri'ed on the English east coast, and a similar great movement or rush 

 is indicated, at the same date, in Mr. Giitke's notes, as well as from the 

 most distant of the lightships. The prevailing winds over tlie Xorth Sea 

 (111 September 21st were moderate north-easterly and easterly off the coasts 

 of Denmark and Holland, blowing strong easterly on to +hb coast north 

 of the Humber, Avith southerly and south-westerly ofl' the south-east 

 coast, producing cross-currents over the North Sea. Whatever Avas the 

 impulse, atmospheric or otherwise, which induced such a vast rush of 

 various species at this time, it Avas one which acted alike, and Avith pre- 

 cisely the same impulse, on the sea-eagle and the tiny goldcrest. 



The second great rush Avas on October 12th and I3tli, a similar niOA'c- 

 nient being recorded at Heligoland. Then, again, from the 27th to the 

 ."list, and somewhat less through the first Aveek in Novemjcr, the passage 

 across Heligoland, as Avell as the rush on our east coast, Avas enornaous. 

 Speaking of the nights from the 27th to the 31st inclusive, Mr. Giitko 

 says: 'This was the first move by the million; for four nights there has 

 been a gigantic feathery tide running.' During this time there Avere 

 variable Avinds over the Xorth Sea. but generally easterly and south- 

 easterly on the Continent, strong Avest winds and squalls prevailing 

 generally on November 5th and Gth. 



Again, Avith the outburst of some severe weather in the first week in 

 December, a considerable local movement is indicated along the coast 

 from noi'th to south, culminating in the enormous rush of snow-buntings 

 into Lincolnshire about the enil of the first Aveek in that month. A care- 

 ful perusal of the report will show hoAv generally the rushes across Heli- 

 goland correlate Avith those on the east coast of England, although not 

 always confined to identical species. 



A someAvhat remarkable ond Acry anomalous movement of migrants 

 is recorded from lightveasc. 3 ♦f the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coasts in 

 the spring of 18H:3. In February. March, April, and jNIay, birds |)assing 

 the Loman and Ower, Llyn Wells, Outer Dowsing, Newarp and "'-'ckle 

 Hghtvessels, Avere, as a rule, coming from vastcrlij and passing \^.. erhj 



directions. '• . entries show a great immigration of our ordinary autumn 

 migrants from the east in the spring months, and on exactly the same 

 lines and directions as are travelled by the same species in autumn. 

 Had this movement been observed at one station only, Ave might perhaps 

 ha' een induced to doubt the accuracy of the return, but the fact o£ 



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