300 KEPORT— 190e. 



time, being Grey Crows, Carrion Crows, Starlings, Skylarks, Chaffinches, 

 and Tree Sparrows. 



Mr. Caton Haigh, who is favourably situated on the north coast of 

 Lincolnshire for observing these immigrants, remarks that the parties 

 sometimes consist entirely of old birds ; sometimes of old and young, and 

 sometimes, so far as he was able to determine, wholly of young birds. 



Autumn Immigration from Nortli-Western J^urope. — The immigration 

 from Northern Europe is far from being extensive. Rooks from 

 Scandinavia ' appear in the Shetlands and at some of the Orkneys (North 

 Ronaldshay in particular) from the middle of October to mid-November. 

 They arrive during the night, sometimes in fairly large flocks, and often 

 remain for a short period before proceeding southwards.'^ 



On the east coast of the mainland of Great Britain the arrival of these 

 northern immigrants does not seem to have been observed ; but passage 

 movements soutliwards performed during the daytime are recorded as far 

 south as Flamborough Head. Similar migrations are witnessed on the 

 west coast of Scotland, chiefly at the Hebridean stations, which likewise 

 follow the arrivals from the north. These diurnal migrations are pro- 

 bably passage movements to British winter quarters, and they sometimes 

 extend as far westward as tlie Flannan and Monach Isles. The Rook is a 

 winter visitor to Barra and probably to some other of the Hebrides. 



The autumn immigrants from both east and north settle down for the 

 winter in Great Britain— chiefly, I believe, in eastern England — and do 

 not, as far as we know at present, proceed southwards of the British area 

 after arrival on our shores. 



Autumn Emigration from Britain.— At the Goodwin Lightships, on 

 several occasions during September and October,^ Rooks, sometimes in 

 considerable numbers, are recorded as crossing the Straits of Dover in the 

 daytime, in an easterly and south easterly direction, as if proceeding to 

 the coasts of Belgium and France. These records are of considerable 

 interest when considered in connection with the more regularly observed 

 return movement which occurs in the spring. The early date on which 

 some of these migrations are chronicled would seem to indicate that the 

 emigrants are British birds, for they are dated prior to the arrival of the 

 earliest autumn visitors from the Continent. 



Spring Immigration to Britain. — During late February, throughout 

 March, and sometimes in the flrst half of April, "* considerable numbers of 

 Rooks, occasionally accompanied by Daws, Starlings, and Skylarks, arrive 

 during the daytime on the south-east coast of England between Norfolk 

 and Kent, the immigrations on some occasions lasting for several succes- 

 sive days.'^ 



' Professor Collett informs me that the Rook, which is not an abundant species 

 in Norway, mostly leaves that country for the winter. 



^ Mr. Thomas Henderson, junior, of Dunrossness, tells me that during long-con- 

 tinued southerly gales he has often seen the immigrant Rooks rise in a flock to a 

 considerable height, as if an.xious to be off, and then settle down again. They leave 

 Shetland for the south as soon as favourable conditions set in. 



" The earliest of these autumn departures is dated September 9, and the latest 

 October 30. 



* The earliest record is for February 23, and the latest for April 18. 



' The late Sir Edward Newton made a number of interesting observations on 

 these movements as witnessed by him at Lowestoft. He writes thus on one of them 

 which occurred on March 31, 1889: 'This morning, while sitting in the house, 

 I heard Rooks and Jackdaws. On looking out I saw flocks of about one hundred 

 coming in very high from the S.E. A few minutes later I again heard Rooks and 



