129 
MIGRATION OF THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. 
JOHN CORDEAUX, M.B.O.U., 
Great Cotes House, R.S.O., Lincoln," 
Mr. WHITLOCK, in his notes on this species in the March number 
of ‘The Naturalist,’ suggests the improbability of Yellow Wagtails 
(Motacilla rati) making a journey of one thousand miles across 
urope without coming under the observation of continental 
ornithologists. This appears to me a very narrow and contracted 
view of migration, long and continuous flights over land and sea 
being the rule and not the exception. A notable instance is that 
given by Herr Gitke, of the Arctic Bluethroat, nowhere met with in 
central and southern Europe, which makes the journey between the 
Nile Delta and Heligoland in a single flight. Other instances 
might be freely cited. 
I have not the least doubt that Mr. W. Eagle Clarke is correct 
in his statement that numbers of Yellow Wagtails, possibly coming 
from the dales of North and West Yorkshire, pass from the Spurn to 
Lincolnshire, following the coast route to the south exactly as do the 
Wheatears, Redstarts, and Willow Wrens; but this fact in no way 
militates against my contention that the Yellow Wagtails observed 
on the Lincolnshire coast (beyond the overlapping of the Spurn), 
and coming in directly from the Zas¢ in small flocks continuously 
during the day, are such as presumably come from the continent 
and are not coasters. To assume the contrary appears absurd and 
ridiculous to those who know the coast. Ifthe latter, why not the 
whole of those mighty hosts of small immigrants which fetch the 
east coast in the autumn by the same route and in the same manner ? 
There is no necessity for Mr. Whitlock to bring the main colony 
of MZ. rai from their summer home on the lower Volga and basin of 
the Caspian, across Europe and the North Sea, for this species is 
sufficiently plentiful in Belgium and Holland to account for the 
Occasional flights which undoubtedly do cross to our East coast in 
€ autumn. ‘There need be no surprise that JZ raz should not 
bring across the continental JZ. fava at the same time; this is not 
to be expected when we know that each has its own summer quarter, 
and in the autumn follows its own line. So also the Pied and the 
White Wagtails. All our summer visitors to Europe have a range, 
beyond which their occurrence must be considered accidental. 
Mr. Whitlock says he met with no flocks of AZ rai on the 
Lincolnshire coast in re sgea 1891. a appears from this he did 
not come across either the ‘coasters’ or any incoming Yellow 
May 1854. : 
