ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 147 



In the latter part of February and throughout March there are 

 indications of the passage of crows, rooks, daws, starhngs, larks, and 

 others to the Continent ; also the same species moving in the reverse 

 direction to the south-east coast of England. Great numbers of star- 

 lings, thrushes, and larks were observed at the lanterns at night, show- 

 ing that the movement was very general and of very considerable extent. 



A remarkable ' rush ' of the smaller summer visitants occurred on 

 the south-east coast, from Thanet to Hunstanton, at early morning of 

 April 29. A very strongly-pronounced movement was also observed 

 at Hanois L. H., Guernsey, on May 2, and on the 3rd and 4th. There 

 were extraordinary ' rushes ' of summer immigrants at the Eddy stone and 

 Nash stations, and at Helwick L. V., South Wales, on the 5th, when 

 wheatears, whitethroats, sedge-warblers, willow-wrens, wood-warblers, 

 blackcaps, reed- warblers, redstarts and pied-flycatchers, and also some 

 swallows, were killed, some of these in considerable numbers ; the weather 

 at the earlier period, April 29, being very rainy and unsettled in the 

 south-east, and very cold over England, with north-east winds. On the 

 30th, there was a thunderstorm in the south-west of France, with very 

 cold, unsettled, and rainy weather generally in the south of Europe. 



The autumn movement of birds commenced early in July, but did not 

 become very distinctly pronounced before the beginning of August. One 

 of the most interesting features of the autumnal migration has been the 

 simultaneous occurrence of the pygmy curlew (Tringa suharquata) and 

 the little stint (T. minuta) on the coast, between the Tees and Yannouth. 

 The former is first recorded from Redcar on August 16, and from the 

 Spurn on August 23 ; the little stint on the 25th. 



The woodcock is first recorded at Seaton-Carew, Durham, on September 

 19, and at Cromer L. H. on the 25th from 12.30 to 2.30 a.m. (S.E. 4). 

 Our observer, Mr. Comben, says, ' I never saw so many woodcocks at 

 one time before ; there seemed to be a constant stream flying round the 

 lantern ; none struck.' Woodcocks appear to have come in at irregular 

 intervals between September 30 and November 3, the great ' rush ' or 

 flight, on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of October. It is somewhat remarkable 

 that the only notice of this species on the east coast of Scotland occurs 

 at the Pentland Skerries and Dunnet Head L. H., Caithness, early in 

 November and again in December. 



Throughout September there was a steady, and almost daily increasing, 

 migration observed at the east coast stations, and from the 29th, through- 

 out October, and to November 3, an almost continuous night and day 

 rush of immigrants, the chief of those recorded being crows, rooks, daws, 

 starlings, larks, chafBnches, linnets, and sparrows; much the greater 

 proportion of the entries in the schedules during this period consisting of 

 these readily distinguishable species. The weather during the period of 

 this great and continuous ' rush ' was up to October 25 mainly anti- 

 cyclonic, cold, quiet, and dry ; the prevailing winds, north and north- 

 easterly ; after the 25th, cyclonic, with west and south-westerly winds, 

 wet, rough and milder. The average temperature of the month was 

 much colder than the corresponding months in the two preceding years. 

 There is no evidence that the change of weather and of the wind after 

 the 25th had the slightest influence in controlling the migratory move- 

 ment, birds continuing to arrive in undiminished numbers. 



The direction and force of the wind at the time appear to have little 

 eSect in controlling the great autumnal ' rushes,' for when the period of 



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