79 



THE CHIFFCHAFF. 



Pliylloscopus rufus (Bechst.). 



The bird observed at Penzance (Cornwall) on the 3rd o£ 

 February was no doubt one that had wintered in the district 

 (cf. Report o£ Spring-Migration o£ 1907, Bull. B. 0. C. xxii. 



P-81). 



The first immigrants were reported in Hampshire and 

 Surrey on the 17th of March. A slight increase in the 

 former county on the following day was succeeded by a 

 decrease on the 23rd, on which date many were recorded in 

 Yorkshire. Single birds killed at St. Catherine's light. Isle 

 of Wight, on the nights of 27th/28th and 28th/29th and a 

 few seen on the night of 29th/30th showed that a small 

 immigratory movement was taking place. It was not, 

 however, until nearly the end of the first week in April 

 that the number of ChifFchaffs increased considerably 

 throughout the country, the birds up to that time being 

 chiefly confined to the southern counties. 



On the 5th of April increased numbers in Cornwall and 

 Devon and a large increase in Kent indicated a fresh influx 

 of migrants, and from that date there was a steady increase 

 throughout the country till about the 20th day of the month, 

 the birds apparently arriving along the whole of the south 

 coast, but chiefly along the western portion. Twelve were 

 seen at St. Catherine's light on the night of 13th/14th April. 

 The only large immigration of this species observed at the 

 lights took place on the night of the 16th/17th, when 

 hundreds were seen between midnight and 3 a.m. at St. 

 Catherine's and thirty at the Owers light-vessel (Sussex) at 

 the latter hour. 



The usual number of Chiffchaffs was recorded in Derby- 

 shire on the 18th and in Cheshire and Somerset on thr 19th, 



