NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 461 
two species. Mr. Agnew, writing from the Isle of May, at the 
entrance of the Firth of Forth, says, under date of May 3rd :— 
*‘ An extraordinary rush of migrants to-day; have never seen 
anything like itin spring. To attempt to give numbers is simply 
useless. I will just give you the names in succession: Fieldfares, 
Redwings, Ring Ouzels, Blackbirds, Lapwings, Dotterels, Rock 
Pigeons, Hawk, Meadow Pipits, Redstarts, Whinchats, Tree 
Sparrows, Yellow Wagtails, Ortolan (obtained), Robins, Chiff- 
chaffs, Wood Warblers, Blackcap Warbler, Marsh Tit, White- 
throats, and Pied Flycatchers.” And on the 4th:—‘‘ Still 
increasing in numbers, but wind shifted this morning to E. 
for §.E.” 
A noteworthy incident also of the vernal migration was the 
great rush of Wheatears observed at the Bahama Bank vessel off 
the Isle of Man, and at Langness on the night of April 18th, 
when many perished and were captured.- On the same night 
Wheatears were killed at the Coningbeg and Rathlin Island light- 
houses, on the Irish coast. On the 12th and 18th the rush was 
very heavy at stations on the west coast of Scotland. No 
corresponding movement was observed on the east coast of Great 
Britain on the same night; but at Hanois lighthouse, Guernsey, 
on the 10th of May, at night at the north light, and on the 
Lincolnshire coast and Farn Islands on the 10th and 11th. This 
shows the immense area covered by the migration of this species 
at or about the same period. On the east coast the first Wheatears 
were observed at the Farn Islands on February 22nd. 
The autumnal migration was first indicated at Heligoland on 
July 6th, and was continued with slight intermissions up to the 
end of the year. A similar movement affected the whole of the 
east coast of Great Britain during the same period, but was 
apparently less constant and persistent than at Heligoland. 
It has been remarked in previous years that the migration of 
a Species extends over many weeks, and in some cases months. 
Yet it is observable that, at least on the east coast of England, 
year by year, the bulk or main body of these birds come in 
two enormous and almost continuous rushes during the second 
and third weeks in October and the corresponding weeks in 
November. 
In the autumn of 1885 it was observable that the chief 
general movements which usually characterise the southward 
