220 



the large race was noted for certain on tlie 9tli of September. The 

 passage spreading over so many months did not show any especially 

 large influxes, and the observations which recorded a few birds each 

 day, with slight and insignificant changes of numbers, rendered it 

 difficult to trace any definite movements. 



The earliest record came from St. Catherine's Light (Isle of Wight) 

 <in the night of' the lOth/llth of July, when a solitary straggler of the 

 smaller race was killed. On the 20th Wheatears were reported as passing 

 the Flannan Islands (off the N.W. of Scotland), during the last week 

 in July they were migrating in some numbers in Sussex and by the 31st 

 had all passed on. On the 1st and 2nd of Augusta small movement was 

 noted in the north (Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Westmoreland), and 

 between the 4th and the 8th birds occurred nightly at St. Catherine's 

 Light, the largest numbers being on the last-mentioned date. On the 

 12th and 13th another small movement was in progress in the west, 

 being recorded from the Isle of Man, Whales, Devon and Hampshire. 

 No further definite movements appear to have been observed during the 

 rest of the month, with the exception of a few passing birds noted at 

 several places in Yorkshire and Hampshire between the 23rd and 26th. 



In the beginning of September Wheatears occurred at several lights 

 on all the coasts of England and Wales, from Chicken Rock (Isle of 

 Man) in the west to Spurn Head in the east, so that a considerable 

 migration must have been in progress. Inland records for those days 

 were not very numerous, but were received from the lights in the 

 eastern, western and southern counties. On the 6th and 7th there 

 was another small migration, but the main passage may be said to have 

 commenced about the 9th and to have continued unabated for about a 

 month. The lights show the greatest numbers on the 10th, 13th, 14th, 

 25th and the 5th of October, but the inland records show a continuous 

 stream throughout that period, the fluctuations in numbers being merely 

 local. After the 10th of October the passage appears to have been over, 

 although during the rest of the month single birds were recorded daily 

 from isolated localities, the last note being from Haddington on the 

 4th of November. 



THE W^HINCHAT {Pratincola riibetra). 



The records of this species are too scanty to throw much light on 

 its movements, although it is clear that the main passage took place 

 between the 21st of August and the 19th of September. Scottish 

 records show that by the 10th and 13th of July Whinchats were already 

 starting for the south, but, except for two or three isolated records, no 

 movements were recorded in England prior to the 21st of August. On 

 that date Whinchats were noted in Nottinghamshire, and on the two 

 following days they were passing in Surrey, StalFordshire and Kent. The 



