10 



Ave receive their publications. Further, that an attempt has 

 been made to work the north coast o£ France and Belgium by 

 means o£ a chain of recorders in those countries, but has had 

 to be abandoned owing to a lack o£ competent observers able 

 to devote the necessary time to the work. As regards tlie 

 ' ringing ' of birds at the lights, the same idea had occurred to 

 us, and we quite think that such a method might be produc- 

 tive o£ many definite results, but, unfortunately, it is quite 

 impracticable. We owe much to the courtesy of the Elder 

 Brethren for allowing their keepers to fill in our schedules, 

 but the latter could not be expected to 'ring' birds, nor is 

 it to be expected that the authorities would allow unofficial 

 observers to remain at the lights during the migration-season. 



The arrival of our summer-migrants commenced on the 

 5th of Marchj but during that month migration proceeded 

 very slowly. Except in the case of a few species, the 

 immigration did not begin until the 2nd of April and con- 

 tinued until the 23rd of May. After that date there was 

 very little movement, although a few species Avere unusually 

 late, notably the Spotted Flycatcher, the main body of 

 which did not arrive until June, while in some places 

 Sedge-Warblers had not reached their breeding- haunts by 

 the J 3th of May. 



The larger waves of migration were not very clearly marked, 

 but there were smaller ones on the 12th and 13th of April 

 and on the 15th of May. The largest movement occurred 

 on the 2iid of May, when no less than 25 species arrived 

 simultaneously on our coasts. 



The immigration of the Wheatear (including both races) 

 extended over a longer period than that taken by any other 

 species, the first arrivals being observed on the 6th of March 

 and the last on the 19th of Jlay. Other species occupying a 

 prolonged period were the Willow- Warbler (the 19th of 

 March to the 19th of May) and the Whinchat (the 26th 

 of March to the 23rd of May), while the shortest time seems 

 to have been taken by the Wood- Warbler (the 11th of April 

 to the 6th of May). The average length of the arri\al 

 period for 1910 was about five or six weeks. 



