ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 71 



the four Goodwin and the Varne li,a;htships, is a barren and pre-eminently 

 uninteresting district for arrivals, both as regards numbers and species, 

 the chief migrants seen being such as are apparently following the coast 

 to the south. 



Such migrants, both local and otherwise, which in the autumn follow 

 the east coast from north to south, seem, as a rule, to pass directly from 

 the Spurn to the Lincolnshire coast without entering the Humber ; and 

 there are no indications that they follow the shores of the Wash in and 

 out, but shape their course from about Gibraltar Point to the Norfolk 

 coast. The well-filled schedules sent in annually from the Shipwash, 

 Swin Middle, Kentish Knock, and Galloper Lightships indicate that a 

 stream passes from the south-east coast of Suffolk across the North Sea 

 in the line of these stations, to and from the Continent, both in the spring 

 and autumn. 



Autumn migrants approaching the Humber from the sea do not appear 

 to follow the course of the river into the interior, that is, from S.E. to N.W. 

 The line would seem to cross the river diagonally, and is from E.S.E. to 

 W.N.W. This course is so persistently followed that year by year, on 

 such days when migration is visible, birds are observed to cross the same 

 fields and at the same angle. Supposing this course to be continued, they 

 would strike the Trent at or near Gainsborough. 



Much information has been obtained from the legs and wings sent 

 in the envelopes provided for that purpose; and by this means already 

 several rare and unusual wanderers have been recorded, not the least 

 interesting being the occurrence of a small Asiatic species, the yellow- 

 browed warbler, at Sumburgh Head, Shetland, on September 25, and 

 an immature example of the American red-winged starling, at 3 a.m. 

 on October 27, at the Nash Lighthouse, Bristol Channel. This station, 

 situated on the coast of Glamorgan and on the north side of the Bristol 

 Channel, lies directly in the track of the great highway followed by 

 migrants from England to Ireland. The black redstart was killed at the 

 Nash Lighthouse on the night of October 29 ; and another interesting 

 occurrence was that of the green woodpecker, seen on October 26, with 

 many other birds at sunrise passing to the S.E.' The black redstart 

 was also received from the Fastnet, co. Cork, found dead on October 30. 

 It is also recorded at four other stations on the south coast of Ireland, 

 and its regular occurrence in the winter on the south and east coasts of 

 that island has now been fully established by this inquiry. The regular 

 occurrence in migration of the black redstart both off and on the east coast 

 of England, as well as the example from the Nash Lighthouse, are sugges- 

 tive of the route followed annually by some small portion of this Con- 

 tinental species, which curiously select as their winter quai'ters the south- 

 west coasts of the British Islands. From the Irish coasts the rarities 

 received were numerous, including the second Irish specimen of the wry- 

 neck from Arran Island, co. Galway, killed striking 2 A.M. on October 6. 



' Mr. H. Nicholas, of the Nash [East] L. H., under date of September 3, has 

 recorded an enormous arrival of small birds — the greatest number ever seen there at 

 any one time. These include four nightjars at 2.10 A.M., one killed; fifteen to 

 twenty common buntings from 3.15 to 3 a.m., eight killed; fifty to sixty greater 

 whitethroats from 2.15 to 3 A.m., twenty-fcur killed; twenty to thirty willow wrens 

 from 2.30 to 3.20 A.M., seventeen killed ; sis young cuckoos at 3 A.M., two killed ; 

 fourteen house spaiTows and one robin killed at 3 A.M. ; thirty to forty wheatears 

 at 3.10 A.M. two killed ; three blackbirds from 3 to 3.15 A.M., one killed. 



