Spring Migration at Chinwangtao. 563 



bird-life until the beginning of May, but during that month 

 the country simply swarms with birds on favourable days. 

 Although the spring migration may be said to be over after 

 the first week in June^ late arrivals continue to straggle in 

 nearly to the end of the month, and the first autumn migrants, 

 ctuiews and probably other waders, are heard passing at night, 

 during stormy weather, as early as the middle of July. 

 Thus, it may be said that on the China coast the birds are 

 on the move from February to mid-November north of the 

 Yangtse, and later than that in south China, practically with- 

 out interruption. The notes taken in 1911 and 1912, in my 

 leisure hours (in the morning, at noon, and after 4 p.m.), 

 are not sufficiently full to show all the bird movements of 

 the northern China coast, but, nevertheless, in conjunction 

 with the fuller observations taken by the collectors engaged 

 by the B.O.C. Migration Committee, indicate the importance 

 of Chinwangtao as a post of observation for the study of 

 bird migration, and it is probable that the migratory birds 

 of iMauchuria with few exceptions pass the port on their way 

 to their breeding grounds. It would appear that in spring, 

 migrants, wildfowl excepted, strike across the gulf from the 

 north-east promontory of Shantung and reach this jDlace 

 without touching land after they have passed the Miautau 

 Is. and the southernmost point of the Liautung Peninsula. 

 Birds found dead at sea off the port or on the seashore at 

 Chinwan;i,tao, or seen arriving from over the sea, would seem 

 to confirm this supposition, and a look at the map of this 

 part of China will show it to be not improbable. Of course 

 a number of birds reach Manchuria via inland ('hina, and 

 this would explain the almost total absence of notes on 

 many common birds in the following pages. The same 

 remarks will probably apply to Taku, at the mouth of the 

 Peiho, and other places on the north coast. 



In autumn, all the Manchuriau migrants would appear 

 to pass down the coast as far as this place at least, and they 

 most probably continue following the coast line to Taku and 

 its neighbourhood. 



From what I have seen of the wildfowl, they ap[)ear tu 



