THE MIGRATION OP BIRDS. 461 



have been the case south of a line drawn from Flamborough Head 

 to Portland Bill in Dorset. Additions and unusual numbers were 

 also observed at Arden, on Loch Lomond side. 



Immense numbers of the Hedgesparrow passed over Heligoland 

 in October, more especially on the 6th, 7th, and 8th. It is curious 

 that on the 8th of the same month they swarmed in astonishing 

 numbers both at Spurn Point and in North-east Lincolnshire. 



Woodcocks arrived on the east coast on the night of October 

 12th, or early morning of the 13th. Wind east, strong, fog and 

 drizzling rain. On the morning of the 13th they are recorded 

 from ten stations, covering 350 miles of coast, from the Isle of 

 May to Orfordness. 



Some species which occur with tolerable regularity on the east 

 coast have during the autumn of 1882 been remarkably scarce. 

 Very few Short-eared Owls have been seen in England or Scot- 

 land. The Common Linnet and Twite have also been very scarce, 

 and the same remarks apply to Heligoland.* 



The returns show very clearly that the spring lines of migration 

 followed by birds are the same as those in the autumn, but of 

 course in the reverse direction— from W. and N.W. to E. and S.E. 

 Another point worth noting is the occurrence of many species in 

 spring at the same stations frequented by the species in autumn. 

 Thus double records occur at the Mull of Galloway, Bell Rock, 

 Isle of May, as well as at some English stations. 



As this is the fourth report issued by the committee, we may 

 perhaps, with the mass of facts at our disposal, be expected to 

 draw deductions which, if they do not explain, may serve at least 

 to throw some light on the causes influencing the migration of 

 hirds. We might reasonably reply that the work undertaken by 

 us was not to theorise or attempt explanations, but simply to 

 collect facts and tabulate them ; this we have endeavoured to do 

 in the shortest and simplest manner consistent with accuracy of 

 detail. There is, however, one circumstance which can scarcely 

 fail to present itself to those who have gone carefully into the 

 reports issued by the committee, namely, the marvellous per- 

 sistency with which, year by year, birds follow the same lines, or 

 great highways, of migration, when approaching or leaving our 



* There was a vast rush of the Common Linnet at the Isle of May from 

 the 9th to the 23rd of October. 



