462 REPORT—1896, 
as they are swelled by the numerous young birds, now a few weeks old. 
All these circumstances and conditions combine to make the autumn 
movements comparatively easy of observation. 
In Spring the conditions are quite different. The all-absorbing duties’ 
of the season and the procreative influence are upon the voyagers, and 
since our Islands form one of the last stages in the journey of many 
species, the birds usually hurry on after a short sojourn for rest and food 
only. Thus the spring movements do not afford much facility or oppor- 
tunity for observation ; indeed, with most species their appearance 
amounts to ‘here to-day, off to-morrow.’ Hence some species and many 
individuals entirely escape notice at a number of the observing stations. ° 
All that it is necessary to say here regarding the Winter Movements is- 
that they are entirely the effect of severe weather. 
Autumn Immigration.—As the summer, more particularly the arctic 
summer, is at its height during JULY, it is not to be expected that immi- 
grants among the northern summer-birds would appear on our shores on 
their return journey during this month. The initial movements of the 
autumn, whatever their significance may be, do, as a matter of fact, set 
in towards the end of July. Of the species observed, the Whimbrel 
and the Knot are the most frequently recorded. The Green Sandpiper, 
Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Turnstone are less frequent. 
A few others appear only occasionally in the chronicles of the month. 
In all probability these July immigrants, or the majority of them, are 
non-breeding birds of their respective species, which have not, perhaps,. 
proceeded far beyond the limits of Britain on their spring journey north- 
ward. That such is the case is borne out by the fact that these July birds 
are all, so far as reported, adults. 
Immigration sets in in earnest during AuGust on the part of those 
species breeding northwards beyond the British area, and either occurring 
as birds of passage or as winter visitors to our isles. The former include 
the northern representatives of several species which are summer visitors 
to Britain. The return movements of twenty-six species of birds whose 
summer haunts lie entirely beyond the British area are chronicled for the- 
month, 
During SEPTEMBER a marked increase in immigration takes place as 
regards both species and more especially individuals. In all, over forty 
species of European birds which do not summer in Britain are recorded 
as migrants for September, including all the species regularly recorded 
for August. In some years (1881 and 1883) there have occurred in Sep- 
tember the first of the great autumnal ‘rushes’ of immigrants from the 
north to our shores. These decided movements are, however, entirely 
the effect of meteorological conditions at the seat of emigration, of which 
special mention is presently to be made in the Meteorological section. 
In Ocroser the flood of immigratory birds reaches its highest level, 
and there are experienced those vast ‘rushes’ upon our shores justi 
mentioned. The additions to the list of extra-British breeding species 
are comparatively numerous, forty-seven species of regular birds of 
passage, besides many other birds breeding in both Northern Europe and 
Britain, being recorded. But, on the other hand, the movements of cer- 
tain other species have, according to our chronicles, already ceased to 
occur, and it may be taken that the majority have passed,! while a few 
others do not appear so numerously as heretofore. 
1 These are the White Wagtail, Temminck’s Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sand- 
piper, and Spotted Redshank. 
