302 REPORT— 1903. 



of a local or irregular character. There are, however, occasional inter- 

 migrations with Great Britain. 



Irish Autumn Movements. — During October and November in some 

 years Rooks have been recorded as arriving on the south-east coast, but 

 these immigrations are so irregular and unimportant as not to merit further 

 notice at present. Such passages on the part of other species are among 

 the best observed and most interesting of the Irish movements, and the 

 absence of the Rook presents a remarkable negative feature, especially 

 so since nearly all the species from Central Europe which winter in England 

 find their way to Ireland by this route in considerable numbers. 



Rooks have also been occasionally observed in October at the islands 

 (Rathlin and Maidens) off the north-east coast, coming from the direction 

 of the mainland of Scotland, and sometimes ' rushes ' are recorded. 



Irish Spring Movements. — The chief feature in the migrations of the 

 Rook as observed in Ireland is the regular spring immigration observed 

 (during the daytime) on the south-east coast, between the latter half of 

 March and the third week of April — the movements indicating that a 

 corresponding autumn emigration most likely takes place, though such has, 

 as yet, entirely escaped notice. It is impossible to determine the precise 

 nature of these movements. They may relate to birds returning to their 

 native homes, or to birds of passage traversing the Irish coast on their 

 way northwards. We have, however, no further information concerning 

 them, and the question must remain open. 



There are occasional records of spring departures. These are witnessed 

 at Copeland Island, Rathlin, and the Maidens, off the north-east coast, 

 where occasionally Rooks have been observed moving towards Scotland 

 in April. These are probably return migrations of the birds sometimes 

 observed at the same stations moving in an opposite direction in the 

 autumn. 



Apparently Erratic Movements to the West. — In the late autumn large 

 numbers of Rooks have occasionally been observed moving westwards 

 beyond the British Isles and over the waters of the Atlantic, wherein 

 many perish, and whence others, having retraced their flight, arrive in an 

 exhausted condition on our furthest western shores. 



Perhaps the best instance on record of such movements occurred in 

 October 1893, when late in the month vast numbers (estimated at from 

 5,000 to 6,000) arrived at Scilly from the south-east, accompanied by a 

 few Daws, and proceeded in a westerly direction. About the same time 

 a large flight of Rooks, presumably the same birds, were met with by 

 steamei's out in the Atlantic some 300 miles west of Ireland, and in such 

 an exhausted condition that some fell into the sea and were drowned, 

 being too weak to retain their foothold on the vessel on which they had 

 alighted. It is said that these birds avoided the outward-bound steamers, 

 but sought those which were approaching the land. As there was nothing 

 unusual in the weather at the time of the birds' appearance in Scilly, 

 they were certainly not on this occasion blown out to sea, a theory which 

 has been advanced to explain similar flights. 



Return movements of considerable numbers of Rooks from the 

 Atlantic have several times been recorded at stations on the west coast 

 of Ireland. In 1884, between November 2 and 25, large numbers 



' J. H. Jenkinson, The Field, March 3, 1894. 



