a 
ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 461 
down the east coast of England, may turn to the westward and skirt 
the south coast, but this is not shown with certainty. 
The continental immigrants strike the Kentish shore, and, as has 
been already stated, some pass to the north along the east coast of 
England, while others pursue a westerly course along our shores of the 
Channel. The stations on the south-western coast again record these 
migrants, and the probable destination of many, perhaps most of them, is 
Treland, on whose south-eastern shores the birds are chronicled, almost 
simultaneously, as arriving in great numbers from the south-east. 
It is possible, however, that some of these birds—the Skylark espe- 
cially—may reach a much more remarkable destination, for one branch of 
the stream sweeps northwards, being observed at the mouth of the Bristol 
Channel, at Anglesey, and at the Isle of Man stations, proceeding to the 
west and north-west, probably to Northern Ireland ; while on the 
Wigtonshire coast and at the rocks of Dhuheartach and Skerryvore these 
birds are noted as moving in the direction of the Outer Hebrides. 
The great autumnal movements from east to west along the south 
coast of England are renewed in winter, when that season is characterised 
by periods of unusual cold. At such times it is possible that this 
western stream is composed in part of native emigrants which have 
passed down our eastern coasts, as well as of birds of continental 
origin. 
“Channel Islands.—Records from the Hanois Lighthouse, situated 
some two miles off the west coast of Guernsey, were furnished for 
each of the years of the enquiry, and afford some useful information. 
These, when compared with the English and Irish chronicles, show that 
on nearly every occasion on which considerable migration was observed 
at this station in the autumn, there was also much emigration going on 
practically simultaneously on the south-west coast of England. It is 
necessary, however, to state that a number of important movements on the 
south-west coast of England do not appear in the records for. Hanois, 
indicating, perhaps, that many movements to the south in autumn and to 
the north in spring pass to the westward of this station. In the spring, 
Swallows are observed passing to both the north-east and north-west in 
great numbers during April and May, and a number of other summer 
birds are recorded on passage. 
. 
SEASONAL. 
The Seasonal Section of the Report is readily subdivided for treat- 
ment into Autumn, Winter, and Spring. 
A few words are necessary in explanation of the differences between 
the autumn, spring, and winter migratory movements as observed in the 
British Isles, for they are performed under very different conditions and 
influences. These remarks apply more particularly to the birds of 
passage, yet they are also applicable, to some extent, to our native 
seasonal visitors. 
In the Autumn the birds, when they appear on our shores, have 
accomplished the great business of the year—procreation. Food is still 
abundant in their favourite resting haunts, and hence there is no par- 
ticular hurry to move southwards. Thus many species tarry on our 
coasts or in their vicinity, some for a considerable period. Their numbers 
are, of course, incomparably greater than during the northward journey, 
