63


further south, thus depriving us of one of the few alleviations to the annual

torment of that most dismal season.


If housekeepers throughout Great Britain would hut think a little of

the birds ; not only freely scattering their table scraps, but (in houses which

are more or less infested with cockroaches) putting out their beetle-traps for

the hungry wayfarers, instead of emptying these wholesome insects in

myriads down the scullery sinks, how many useful lives would be prolonged!

No need then for futile Acts to be passed for the preservation of our wild

birds; for it would be folly to deny that the wholesale death from starva¬

tion which even one long protracted general frost causes, does immeasurably

more towards reducing the numbers of our feathered friends than all the

bird-catchers and bird’s-nesters in the kingdom.


The Stonechat is one of the most remarkable of our resident birds, inas¬

much as it is a migratory species on the Continent. On the other hand,

whereas the Blackcap, as a rule, migrates to Africa (probably about Septem¬

ber, returning in April), it sometimes leaves a few stragglers which remain

with us throughout the winter.


The Dipper, Dartford Warbler, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Crested Tit, Long¬

tailed Tit, Bearded Tit, Hedge Accentor, Wren, Common Creeper, Nuthatch,

Redpoll, Reed and Cirl Buntings, and Rock Pipit are strictly resident birds,

and if their numbers are ever increased by immigration, I have failed to

note any record of the fadt.


The stridtly migratory birds belong to two categories, those which come

to us from colder ciimes and winter here, and secondly those which emigrate

to warmer countries in the autumn. The former of these, curiously enough,

are largely insectivorous birds; and indeed, with the exception of Green¬

finches and Siskins, most if not all our autumn visitants are more or less

insedt eaters.


The Redwing arrives on our shores from Norway, Sweden, and Russia

in October, returning in April; the Fieldfare, from the Arctic circle, reaches

us one month latter, and leaves us early in May; sometimes a few Waxwings

come to remind us of the Pine forests of the circumpolar regions, or,

between the months of September and October, perchance the Snow-

Bunting, another visitor from the same ice-bound area, appears on the

scene and remains until the following March or April.


Most migrator}^ species, however, leave Great Britain for Africa in the

autumn and return to breed here in the spring. The following is a list of

these: —


The Ring Ouzel, which may perhaps be locally resident in this country,

migrates between September and October, to Southern Europe, North Africa,

Asia Minor and Persia.


The Nightingale in August or September, to North Africa and the South

of Abyssinia.


The Redstart in September, to North Africa: these all return in April.


The Wheatear in September, to North and West Africa, returning in

March.


The Whinchat in September, to South Europe, North, East and West

Africa, returning in April.


The Spotted Flycatcher in September, to x\sia and Africa, returning

between April and May.


The Pied Flycatcher probably leaves us for Africa in September,

returning in April.


The Grasshopper Warbler migrates at the same time and for the same

term to Spain and Northern Africa.


The Sedge-Warbler retires between September and October to Algeria,

Egypt, and Asia Minor, returning in April.



