THE ZOOLOGIST. 
THIRD SERIES. 
Vou. III.) FEBRUARY, 1879. [No. 26. 
ON THE AUTUMN MIGRATION OF BIRDS IN 1878. 
By Joun CoRDEAUX. 
Tuer autumn migration of 1878 has in some respects been 
remarkable, and a striking contrast to that of the preceding year. 
In 1877-78 a very mild autumn and winter over the North of 
Europe, with but few intervals, and these of short duration, 
of severe weather, gave a prolonged and desultory character to 
the great southern movement. Birds came in great rushes and at 
long intervals, corresponding with short and very marked changes 
of temperature. Thus migration was prolonged throughout the 
winter, and indeed, from Mr. Gitke’s observations in Heligoland, 
did not absolutely cease till the end of February, just before the 
return journey commenced. 
The migration of the past autumn, when once began, pro- 
ceeded with great rapidity and without interruption. All the 
returns I have obtained, both from our coast and from the eastern 
side of the North Sea, show that this was the case, day by day 
wave after wave of immigrants sweeping southward, and in such 
immense numbers that we may fairly suppose long ere Christmas, 
1878, the dreary winter-bound north was fairly denuded of birds. 
I will not go so far as to say that the character of the coming 
season may be always accurately predicted by the movement of 
our autumn migrants. The passage of birds from the north to 
the south is an annual and normal phenomenon ; no matter what 
the weather is, in September, October and November the birds 
come; whether we see them or not depends on circumstances of 
wind and weather, into which it is not necessary at present to 
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