ON UIKD MIGKATION. 293 



islands (including Scilly) and Ireland are also sought for the winter. 

 These movements commence in some seasons as early as the end of July,' 

 and are in progress throughout the autumn. Ireland receives consider- 

 able numbers of immigrants from England, Scotland, and Wales towards 

 the end of August and onwards. 



Later in autumn these movements merge into those of the Continental 

 hosts also seeking winter retreats in various parts of our islands. 



2. Summer and Autumn Emigration. — Not only are winter quarters 

 sought by our native Starlings within the British area, but many travel 

 much further to find retreats in South-Western Europe. Thus a number 

 of our British-breeding Starlings are summer visitors to our islands. 



Late in July, during August, and up to the middle of September 

 (before the Continental birds appear on our shores) emigrant Starlings 

 depart from the south coast of England, and are observed crossing the 

 Channel towards France, sometimes in company with Wheatears, Sedge 

 Warblers, Song-Thrushes, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Curlews, and other 

 species. These movements of departure are performed during the night 

 or the earliest hours of the morning, and hence for the most part escape 

 notice ; but I have received during the past two years much valuable 

 information regarding them from the Eddystone Lighthouse, the situa- 

 tion of which is singularly favourable for the making of such observations. 

 Nearly all the Starlings (and other species) which meet with an untimely 

 end at the lanterns at this season are birds of the year, a circumstance, 

 however, to which undue significance should not be attached ; for we must 

 remember that the majority of the emigrants are young, indeed only a 

 few weeks old, and it seems natural that they should fall easier victims 

 to the attractions of the lanterns than older travellers with more 

 experience. 



Some of these native emigrants are probably of Irish origin, but their 

 departure is likewise difficult to detect. There are, however, nocturnal 

 movements (and emigratory movements are eminently performed by 

 night) of Starlings and other birds during the latter part of July and in 

 August, which seem to indicate that this species quits Ireland in the late 

 summer and early autumn for more southern winter quarters. 



It is possible that some Starlings may cross the English Channel in the 

 daytime. There is, however, but one recoi'd of such a movement in the 

 returns, ■■^ and during a five weeks' residence at the Eddystone in Sep- 

 tember and October 1901 I never saw any diurnal emigration on the part 

 of this species, though many thousands crossed in the night and earliest 

 hours of the morning. 



Axitumn Immigration from Central Euro'pe. — The first arrivals from 

 the Continent on our coasts in the autumn come from the east, and are 

 doubtless emigrant summer visitors from Western Central Europe. These 

 visitors cross the southern waters of the North Sea by a more or less 

 direct east-to-west passage, and appear on the coast of England from the 

 Humber southwards to the Channel. 



These immigrations set in with great regularity during the last week 

 of September,^ reach their maximum volume in the last three weeks of 



' At the Tuskar Kock, off the S.E. coast of Ireland, on July 27, 1894, several 

 Starlings were observed proceeding in a north-westerly direction. 



"^ At the Varne Lightship (Straits of Dover) on September 18, 1887, twenty 

 passed from N. to S.S.E. at 7 a.m. 



' The earliest date chronicled is September 21, 1880, but the initial date for 

 other years follows closely thereon. 



