ON niRD MTfi RATION. 



277 



until about the middle o£ that month, while stragglers have been observed 

 as late as the first week in June. 



The earliest emigrants appear to leave in small parties, either alone or 

 at the same time as Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Lapwings, and sometimes 

 Bramblings ; but those that follow late in April and in May are observed 

 at East Coast stations in great flocks and in company with many other 

 emigrants and transient migrants— e.i^., Redwings, Ring-ousels, Wheatears, 

 Whinchats, Redbreasts, Redstarts, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Pied 

 Flycatchers, Bramblings, &c. 



Some of the great spring emigrations cover considerable sections of the 

 eastern seaboard, having been observed from the Fame Islands to Orkney 

 and Shetland, and from the Wash to the Firth of Forth. 



There are also important movements of departure on the west coast 

 of Britain. These are observed somewhat feebly at the English, Welsh, 

 and Manx stations, but become more pronounced on the Scutch Coast 

 (including the Hebrides), which receives tlie Irish emigrants e^i roiite for 

 the north. This westei'n passage also sets in during the earliest days of 

 April and lasts until mid- May, but no great general flights are witnessed. 

 There is also much overland migration from the western districts to the 

 east coast performed throughout Great Britain. 



Before proceeding to the coast for departure, Fieldfares assemble and 

 form flocks in the various districts in which they have wintered, and are 

 very noisy and restless for several days before they finally quit their 

 winter haunts. 



This species is extremely wary, and is less frequently killed or captured 

 at the lanterns of the light stations than any of its congeners. 



The Migrations of the Lapwing {Vanelhts vulgaris). 



Introductory.— The migrations of the Lapwing in the British Islands 

 are especially interesting, and possess features which are not shared by 

 any of the species treated of in the reports hitherto presented to the 



Association. 



When we come to investigate the various movements performed by 

 this well-known bird, it is surprising to find how largely they escape 

 notice. This may to some extent be accounted for by the fact that the 

 Lapwing is partially nocturnal in habit, and hence less prone than other 

 species to approach the light-stations ; but this does not, I think, aflford 

 an entire explanation, for other Limicohv of even more pronounced noc- 

 turnal proclivities, such as the AVoodcock, do not pass unobserved to a 

 like degree. 



In addition to being a resident during the major portion of the year 

 in extensive areas of our islands, the Lapwing is a summer visitor to 

 Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, to the more elevated districts 

 throughout the mainland of Great Britain and Ireland, and to other 

 inland areas, especially in the North. 



As winter visitors and birds of passage some numbers arrive on 

 our shores in the autumn from Scandinavia and from Western Central 

 Europe. 



The great majority of our British-bred birds and, perhaps, also of the 

 Continental immigrants, pass the cold season in Great Britain and Ire- 

 land, but extensive winter movements are performed under the pressure 

 of severe climatic conditions which afiect the food-supply. Then many 



