244 



Oct. 17th. Yarmoutli, increase, plentiful after. 

 „ 21st. Mull (Argyll), some arrived. 



„ 22nd/23rd. St. Catherine's Lt. (Isle of Wight), one killed at 



10 P.M. 



„ 24th. St. Leonards, three arrived. 

 „ 31st/Nov. 1st. S. Foreland Lt. (Kent), one killed at 9 p.m. 

 Nov. 5th. Beith (Ayrshire), many. 

 „ 9th. N.W. Suffolk, small flock. 



„ 29th. N.W. Suffolk, increase. 



THE MEALY REDPOLL {Linota linaria). 



Amongst the immigrations of the less common nortliern species for 

 which the autumn of 1910 was remarkable, those of the Mealy Redpoll 

 were perhaps the most noteworthy, both on account of the extent of the 

 area of arrival and of the vast numbers of birds that were concerned 

 in them. 



The area of arrival included the whole of the east coast from the 

 northernmost Shetlands to Kent, the largest numbers apparently arriving 

 in the Forth area, and on the coasts of Yorkshire, Norfolk and Kent. 



The immigration commenced at the beginning of October, the lirst bird 

 being taken at Dungeness Light (Kent) on the 3rd/4th, the first (dated) 

 record from Shetland being on the 9th, though birds had been seen there 

 for some days. At the end of the second week simultaneous arrivals were 

 recorded in the Shetlands, the Isle of May and on the Yorkshire, Norfolk 

 and Suffolk coasts, and from then onwards to the end of the mouth 

 fresh arrivals were recorded daily at one or more points on the east 

 coast. The immigration seems to have reached its height between the 

 26th and 30th and to have gradually waned during the first week of 

 November. 



What became of the birds after arrival there is very little evidence 

 to show, apart from the fact that many (probably many thousands) 

 were captured by bird-catchers at or near the coast. That many passed 

 south along the east coast there is no doubt, as such movements were 

 definitely recorded during the latter part of October and the first half of 

 November ; others, particularly those that landed in the Forth area, 

 appear to have penetrated some distance to the west and south-west 

 (Peebles, Lanark, Renfrew and Ayrshire) and even to Skye and the 

 Inner Hebrides, From England, apart from the east coast, there were 

 practically no records, and the birds do not seem to have passed 

 further west along tlie south coast than Dungeness. Vast numbers 

 were present on the south coast of Kent during the month of November, 

 and fell a prey to the bird-catchers of that district as in others further 

 north, but what eventually became of the remainder there was no 

 evidence to show. 



