76



Reviews.



MIGRATION OF BIRDS.*


The Sixth Annual Report of the B. O. C. Migration Com¬

mittee is brought out ou similar lines to the previous Reports.

We are, however, pleased to notice one very beneficial change,

namely, the summarising of the autumn records, where possible,

into a connected account, instead of the interminable list of

records given in the previous Report. Besides economy of space,

this new method will prove much more interesting and intelli¬

gible to the general reader. These Reports only deal with the

actual records received during the year, and no attempt is made

to generalize or draw any deductions for the present, though, as

we are told in the introduction, this will be done to some extent

when material over a sufficient number of years has been got

together. The main facts of interest during the spring of 1910

appear to have been the absence of any great ‘ rushes,’ and the

extremely late arrival of certain species, e.g. the Spotted Fly¬

catcher.


The scarcity of the Land Rail in the southern and eastern

counties is well shown by the occurrence of only one record

(Norfolk, May 6th) east of a line extending from Wilts to York¬

shire. Within the last ten years it was a common bird in

Cambridgeshire, as well as in many other of the south-eastern

counties, and its almost complete disappearance in so short a

time is very remarkable. The autumn notes contain records on

a large number of species; of the common birds, a fairly full and

connected account of their movements is given, while in other

cases we have the records of solitary rare wanderers, such as

the Barred Warbler, Golden Oriole, Red-breasted Flycatcher,

Lesser Kestrel, Honey Buzzard, and many others.


We recommend this Report to all students of our native

birds, it will bring home to them the movements and travels of

the bird world, which are going on in practically every month of

the year, and which may be noted by anyone who cares to observe

and note the different species met with in any particular area,



* Report on the immigrations of summer residents in the spring'of 1910; also notes

on the migratory movements and records received from Lighthouee and Light Vessels

during' the autumn of 1909, by the Committee appointed by the British Ornithologists’ Club.

London : Withekby & Co. 6/- net. 8vo. 313pp. and maps.



