10 



migration began early (on the 6tli of March) and individuals 

 o£ many species arrived in various parts of the country on 

 unusually early dates. With the continuance of favourable 

 conditions, the stream of migrants was almost uninter- 

 rupted and the period over which it lasted was proportionally 

 curtailed. 



From the 6th to the 24th of March the migration consisted 

 mostly of stragglers, and included only nine species ; but on 

 the 25th our summer-birds began to arrive in force, and from 

 that date till the 3rd of April considerable numbers were 

 arriving daily. The main movement seems to have begun 

 on the 5th of April and to have lasted with but slight fluctua- 

 tions until the 22nd, the period of greatest activity being 

 between the 17th and 22nd. No fewer than twenty-one 

 species were recorded as having arrived on our coasts on the 

 20th. A second and less considerable movement took place 

 between the 25th of April and the 1st of May, and the third, 

 a larger one, between the 3rd and 15th of May : thereafter, 

 the number of species arriving dwindled rapidly, and after 

 the 20th migration was apj)arently confined to small parties 

 of stragglers and finally ceased during the first week in 

 June. 



The migrations of the Wheatear (two races) which lasted 

 from the 6th of March to the 15th of May and of the House- 

 Martin from the 25th of March to the 29th of May, covered 

 the longest periods among the species recorded ; while those 

 of the Wood- Warbler (from the 18th of April to the 12th of 

 May) and the Reed- Warbler (from the 19 th of April to the 

 13th of May) occupied the shortest time. 



The following is a list of the species showing the routes by 

 which they appear to have reached this country ; in a few 

 instances where the evidence was incomplete, the species have 

 been placed in that section which the data seemed to indicate 

 {e.g. Grasshopper-Warbler); the others, which are somewhat 

 doubtfully placed, must be read in conjunction with their 

 corresponding footnotes : — 



