22 



spreading north and north-eastwards throughout the 

 comitry. Between April 11th and 15th the species was 

 numerously recorded from several lighthouses on the east 

 coast, these birds, probably representing emigrants, which 

 liad passed through the country from the south. 



The fourth immigration, which was entirely unnoticed 

 by any inland observers, occurred at various lights in 

 Hamj)shire and Dorset on the nights of the 27th and 28th 

 April. The failure of the land observers to record this 

 immigration would appear to indicate that most of these 

 birds .passed rapidly through the country, but it should 

 also be borne in mind that the majority of oiu- resident 

 Wheatears having already arrived, a slight increase would 

 hardly be noticeable. 



The fifth immigration, consisting apparently entirely of 

 the large race of this species, took place on the Kent and 

 Sussex coasts between the 6th and 9th of May. 



The sixth and last immigration, which was also recorded 

 as consisting of birds of the large race, occurred at Hastings 

 on the 14th May and at Hay ling Island two days later. 



In all the immigrations the cocks and hens appear to 

 have been in approximately even numbers, but the earlier 

 stragglers preceding the first immigration were without 

 exception males. 



It has long been known that a large race of this species, 

 supposed to have its summer quarters in Greenland"^, 

 passes through these islands annually. Careful 

 measurements of the wings and tarsi sent in by the 

 lighthouse-keepers prove that these forms may be clearly 

 separated. The measurements are as follows : — 



Av. 105 mm. 



Av. 96*7 mm. 



Av. 101*7 mm. 



Av. 92-7 mm. 

 We have no record of any birds of the larger race 

 arriving before the 10th of April, and no bird of the 

 smaller race struck a light after the 29th of April, so it 



* Howard Saunders' Manual B.B., p. 20 (1899). 



S S Large race. 



Wing 109- 



-100 mm, 



Small ,, 



„ 98- 



- 94 mm, 



? ? Large „ 



„ 106- 



- 98 mm 



Small „ 



„ 95- 



- 90 mm. 



