548 



IV A TURE 



[Oct. 4 .88; 



Although migration — that is direct migration — on our east 

 coast, is shown to have extended over a long period, commencing 

 in July and continuing, with but slight intermissions, throughout 

 the autumn and into the next year to the end of January, yet the 

 main body of migrants appear to have reached the east coast in 

 October, and of these a large pro; ortion during the first fortnight 

 in the month. From the 6th to the 8th inclusive, and again 

 from the I2th to the 15th, there wa=, night and day, an enormous 

 rush, under circums ances of wind and weather which, observa- 

 tions have shown, are most unfavourable to a giod passage. 

 During these periods birds arrived in an < xhausted condition, 

 and we have reasons fir concluding, from the many reported as 

 alighting on fishing smacks and vessels in the North Sea, that 

 the loss of life must have been very considerable. Large flights 

 also are recorded as having appeared round the lanterns of light- 

 houses and light-vessels during the night migration. From the 

 6th to the 9th inclusive strong east winds blew over the North 

 Sea, with fog and drizzling rain, and from the night of the 12th 

 to 17th very similar weather prevailed. Mr. W. Littlewood, of 

 I he Galloper lightship, forty miles southeast of Orfordness, 

 reports that, on the night of October 6, larks, starlings, tree- 

 sparrows, titmice, common wrens, redbreasts, chaffinches, and 

 plovers were picked up on the deck, and that it is calculated that 

 from 500 to 6co struck the rigging and fell overboard : a large 

 proportion of these were larks. Thou ands of birds were flying 

 round the lantern from 11.30 p.m. to 4.45 a.m., their white 

 breasts, as they dashed to and fro in the circle of light having 

 the appearance of a heavy snowstorm. This was repeated on 

 the 8th and 12th, and on the night of the 13th 160 were picked 

 up on deck, including larks, starling--, thrushes, andljtwo redbreasts. 

 It was thought that icoo struck and went overboard into the sea. 

 It is only on dark, rainy nights, with snow or fog, that such casual- 

 ties occur ; when the nights are light, or any stars visible, the 

 birds give the lanterns a wide berth. 



Undoubtedly the principal feature of the autumn migration has 

 been the extraordinary abundance of the gold-cre>ted wren. The 

 flights appear to have covered not only the east coast of Eng- 

 land, but to have extended southward to the Channel Islands 

 and northward to the Faroes (see Report, East Coast of Scot- 

 land). On the east coast of England they are recorded at no 

 less than twenty-one stations from the Fame Islands to the 

 Hanois Lighthouse, Guernsey, and on the east coast of Scotland at 

 the chief stations from the Isle of May to Sunburgh Head (at 

 which latter station they have rarely been seen in previous 

 years). Mr. Garrioch, writing from Lerwick, says: "In the 

 evening of October 9 my attention was called to a large flock of 

 birds crossing the harbour from the Island of Bressay, and on 

 coming to a spot on the shore where a number had taken refuge 

 from the storm, I found the flock to consist of gold-crests and a 

 few fire-crests amongst them ; the gold-crests spread over the 

 entire Island, and were observed in considerable numbers till the 

 middle of November." The earliest notice on the east coast is 

 August 6, the latest November 5, or ninety-two days ; they 

 arrived somewhat sparingly in August and September, and in 

 enormous numbers in October, more especially on the nights of 

 October 7 and 12, at the latter date with the woodcock. This 

 flight appears to have extended across England to the Irish 

 coast, for on the night of the 12th a dozen struck the lantern of 

 the Tuscar Rock Lighthouse, and on the night of the 13th they 

 were continually striking all night. During the autumn enor- 

 mous numbers crossed Heligoland, more especially in October. 

 On the night from the 2Sth to the 29th Mr. Giitke remarks : 

 " We have had a perfect storm of gold-crests, perching on the 

 ledges of the window-panes of the lighthouse, preening heir 

 feathers in the glare of the lamps. On the 29th all the island 

 swarmed with them, filling the gardens and over all the cliff 

 — hundreds of thousands. Ky 9 a.m. most of them had passed 

 on again." Not less remarkable was the great thtee days' flight 

 of the common jay, past and across Heligoland, on October 6, 

 7, and 8. Th u ands on thousands, without interruption, 

 passed 011 overhead, north and south of the island too, multi- 

 tudes like a continual stream, all going east to west in a strong 

 south-easterly gale. It would have been interesting if we had 

 been able to correlate this migration of jays with any vi^iMe 

 arrival on our English coast, but in 11011= of th returns is any 

 mention made of jays. Substqueivly we have received numerous 

 notices of extra rdinary numbers seen during the winter in our 

 English woodland-. This seems especially to have Veen the 

 case south of a line drawn from Flamb irough Head to Portland 

 Bill in Dorset. Additions and unusual numbers were also ob- 

 served at Arden on Loch Lomond sid?. 



The returns show very clearly that the spring lines of migra- 

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

 of course in the reverse direction — from west and north-west to 

 east and south-east. Another point worth noting is the occur- 

 rence 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 birds. 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 » ith accu- 

 racy 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 

 persistency with which, year by year, birds follow the same 

 lines, or great highways of migration, when approaching or 

 leaving our shores. The constancy of thee periodical pheno- 

 mena is suggestive of some settled law or principle governing 

 the movement. It is clearly evident, from the facts already at 

 our disposal, that there are two distinct migrations going fur- 

 ward at the same time, one the ordinary flow in the spring and 

 ebb in the autumn across the whole of Europe. A great 

 migratory wave moves to and from the nesting-quarters of the 

 bird-, in the coldest part of their range, north-east in the spring 

 and south-west in the autumn. Quite independent of this there 

 is a continual stream of immigrants, week by week and month 

 by month, to the eastern shores of these islands, coming directly 

 across Europe from east to west, or more commonly four points 

 south of east to north of west, and the reverse in the spring. 

 Thee immigrants are mainly composed of those common ami 

 well-known species which annually make these islands their 

 winter quarters, and, as a rule, take the place of our summer 

 birds. I hey come in one broad stream, but denser on some 

 special lines or highways than others. Cutting the line of 

 ordinary migration at nearly ri^ht angle-, one flank brushes the 

 Orkney and Shetland Isles, pouring through the Pentland Firth, 

 even touching the distant Faroes; the southern wing crosses the 

 Channel Islands, shaping its course in a north-westerly direction 

 to the English coast. 



Ninth Report of the Committee for investigating the Circulation 

 of Underground Waters in the Permeable Formati ns of Eng- 

 land, and the Quantity and Character of the Wafer supplied to 

 various Towns and Districts from these Formations. Report 

 drawn up by C. E. De Ranee. — Ten years having elapsed since 

 the Committee was appointed at Belfast, they think this a fitting 

 opportunity to review the results so far obtained, and to point 

 out where they consider additional information is still required, 

 in the hope that they may receive assi tance in their investiga- 

 tions from the various local societies or from individuals who 

 may be dispored to aid in the work. The work intrusted to the 

 Committee was twofold— first, to inquire into the circulation of 

 underground waters in permeable formations ; secondly, to 

 ascertain the quantity and qna'ity of the water supplied to towns 

 and districts from these formations. The information obtained 

 occupies nine reports ; the eight already published fill up no less 

 than 163 pages of the annual volumes of the Association, and 

 contain a record of upwards of 500 wells and borings. The 

 Committee believe that the publication of these results, by 

 directing public opinion to the value of such supplie-, and by the 

 preservation of the records of rhose carried out, has given an 

 impetus to water of this class being generally adopted for do- 

 mestic consumption in districts where gravitation supplies are 

 unsuitable or unattainable. As regards the first head of inquiry 

 — the circulation of underground water — much remains to be 

 learnt, especially as to the influence of variation of barometrical 

 pressure on the volume of springs. Independent investigation 

 is now being carried on by Mr. Baldwin Latham, but it is ex- 

 ceedingly desirable that numerous observations should be taken 

 in different classes of rocks, the quantity of water a rock is 

 capable of holding being no measure of the quantity of water it 

 i- capable of yielding. The difference of the period of time in 

 which two rocks will absorb, and give off by gravity, the same 

 quantity of water is governed by the difference of their chemical 

 cotnpo ition. The chemical composition of two rocks being 

 identical, their facility of discharge of water is in direct relation 



