ON BIRD MIGRATION. 283 



may be seen at various points on the coast and the off-lying islands — the 

 Fames, Isle of May, and the Pentland Skerries on the east, and the Isle 

 of Man, Dhuheatach, Skerryvore, Sule Skerry, and even the remote 

 Flannans, on the west— and at the various isles of the Orkney and Shet- 

 land groups. A number proceed overland in various directions to reach 

 the coast. 



The emigrants for North-west Europe mainly move along the east coast, 

 and many cross the North Sea ere the Orkneys and Shetlands are reached, 

 though some numbers visit these islands regularly on passage to their 

 Scandinavian summer quarters. 



The Lapwings which have wintered in Ireland begin to move north- 

 ward, in mild seasons, about the middle of February ; but the chief 

 emigrations take place during March, after which month they fall off, 

 though some have been observed in the end of April. The latter, how- 

 ever, are exceptional occurrences. The emigrants mainly depart from the 

 north-east coast and proceed in various directions towards Scotland : these 

 are chiefly observed during the daytime. There is also a return migration 

 to the south-east from the Wexford and adjacent coasts late in February, 

 but this, like most emigratoiy movements, largely escapes notice, and our 

 data regarding it are only slight. 



No return migrations of Lapwings from our south-eastern shores to 

 Western Central Europe by a west-to-east passage across the southern 

 waters of the North Sea have been detected. But when we call to mind 

 the difficulty of making observations and the general obscurities that sur- 

 round the nocturnal emigratory movements this is not very surprising. 



Index Genenim et Speciermn Animalhim. — Report of the Committee, 

 consisting of Dr. H. Woodward {Chairman), Dr. F. A*. Bather 

 (Secretary), Dr. P. L. Sclater, Eev. T. R. R. Stebbing, Mr. R. 

 McLachlan, and Mr. W. E. Hoyle. 



The Committee beg to report that the first section of Volume I. of the 

 ' Index,' dealing with the period 1758-1800, has been printed off. The 

 volume will be completed by a list of all the specific names indexed under 

 the generic names with which they are associated. This part of the 

 work is rapidly approaching completion, and it is expected that the 

 volume will be issued in October this year, as already announced. It 

 will consist of about 1,300 pages in post 8vo, and will be published by 

 the Cambridge University Press, at a price of 25s. to those who subsci'ibe 

 before the day of publication. 



The energies of Mr. C. Davies Sherborn have naturally been fully 

 absorbed in passing these sheets through the press ; but work on future 

 volumes, which has never been wholly laid aside, will now be taken up 

 again in earnest. The Committee therefore earnestly request to be 

 reappointed and to have a renewal of the grant of 100^., without which this 

 highly important work cannot be carried on. 



