ON TIIE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 269 



peareu, and the same scarcity is observable in the Heligoland returns. 

 Curiously enough, the hedge-sparrow (Accentor modularis), which migrated 

 in immense numbers in the same autumn, has been almost entirely absent. 

 About half a dozen are recorded at Heligoland, none on the east coast of 

 England. 



Of the enormous immigration which crosses our east coast in the 

 autumn, either to winter in these islands or merely on passage across 

 them, a small proportion only appear to return by the same routes. 

 Spring returns from lighthouses and lightvessels show birds then move 

 on the same lines as in the autumn, but in the reverse direction. These 

 return travellers do not, however, represent anything like a tithe of the 

 visible immigrants which, week after week and month by month in the 

 autumn, move in one broad stream on to the east coast. 



What is called the ' first flight ' of the woodcock arrived on the York- 

 shire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk coasts on the night of October 21st. The 

 'great flight,' or rush, which covered the whole of the east coast from 

 the Fame islands to Yarmouth was on the nights of the 28th and 2'Jth. 

 These two periods correlate with the principal flights of woodcock across 

 Heligoland. 



But few woodcock were recorded from stations on the east coast of 

 Scotland, although at the Bell Rock lighthouse, on the night from October 

 31st to November 1st, Mr. Jack reports an enormous rush of vai-ious 

 species, commencing at 7 p.m. Immense numbers were killed, pitching 

 into the sea. ' What we thought were woodcocks struck with great force ; 

 birds continued flying within the influence of the rays of light till the 

 first streak of day, continually striking hai'd all night ; we believe a great 

 number of woodcocks struck and fell into the sea.' 



Mr. Harvie-Brown records a very great spring migration of wood- 

 cocks which appear to have crossed Scotland between the Clyde and the 

 Forth on March Orb, 10th, 11th, and 12th, 1884. These were observed to 

 be the small red Scandinavian bird, which are quite unmistakable and 

 distinct from British-bred birds. 



The occurrence of Locusiella fluviatilis at the Stevns lighthouse at the 

 entrance of the Oresund in Zealand is interesting, as it is the first recorded 

 Danish example of this species. 



Altogether there has been a very marked absence on our British coasts 

 of rare and casual visitants. The roller (Goracias garrula) occurred in 

 October in two localities — one in Lincolnshire, the other in Suffolk. 



Two examples of the sooty shearwater (Paffinus griseus) were obtained 

 in Bridlington Bay about the end of September. The island of Heli- 

 goland retains its pre-eminence as the casual resting-place of rare 

 wanderers from other lands ; and Mr. Giitke's list for 1883 includes 

 Turdus varius, Pratincola rubicola, var. indica, Phylloscopus superciliosus, 

 Hiipolais pallida, Motacilla citreola, Antlius cervinus, A. Richardi, Oriolus 

 galbula, Lanius major, Muscicapa parva, Linota exilipes, Emberiza melano- 

 cephala, E. cirlus, E. rustica, E. punlla, Pastor roseus, and Xema Sabiuii. 



It is well known that large numbers of European birds, presumably 

 driven out of their course, are seen, during the autumn migration, far out 

 over the Atlantic, alighting on the ocean-^oing steamers. It is proposed 

 by Mr. Harvie-Brown to supply schedules to tbe principal lines of ocean 

 steam-vessels for the better recording of these occurrences. It must be 

 borne in mind that the immense and constantly-increasing traffic, which 

 in these days bridges the Atlantic and unites the Old and New Worlds, 



