100 BRITISH BIRDS. 



February, March and April, 1906, was composed of 

 species known not to winter north of the Tropic of 

 Cancer. 



The fact remains, however, that we actually did find 

 a very considerable passage across Crete to the northward, 

 probably towards Greece and her archipelago, and perhaps 

 also to part of Asia Minor ; but the unfortunate absence 

 of data as to the direction of arriving migrants leaves it 

 open to doubt whether the birds do actually come from 

 Egypt by a north-westerly course or from the nearest 

 part of the African coast in Barca by a more northerly or 

 even a north-easterly course. Unless the birds wintering 

 south of the Tropic of Cancer cross large areas of desert 

 in spring, it seems as if the bulk of the migrants at Crete 

 might be expected to have come by a north-westerly 

 course from the Lower Nile district. 



But perhaps there is a regular migration passage across 

 the Sahara via the oases. Such a journey would seem 

 far less dangerous than a cross-sea passage to most birds ; 

 the food difficulty would be almost the only thing to 

 contend with. 



The " Venus " arrived at Suda Bay on the 3rd February, 

 and remained in Cretan waters until the 29th April, 

 with the exception of thirteen days in the middle of the 

 latter month, when she was away at Athens. This 

 made rather an important gap in our migration records, 

 although, as a matter of fact, the only new arrivals 

 found on our return from Athens were the Cuckoo, 

 a warbler of the genus Hypolais, the Rock-Thrush 

 (Monticola saxatilis), Turtle-Dove, Wood- Wren, and the 

 Pied Flycatcher. 



On one occasion only did we go to the southward of 

 Crete, and then only to steam along the coast at several 

 miles distance. 



In consequence of this, all our bird-observations were 

 made on the north side of the island, chiefly at Suda Bay, 

 but although I made the most of my time by getting 

 ashore whenever duty permitted it, the ship did so 



