Migration of Birds. By John Aitchison. 247 



on July 3. Swifts departed, August 18 ; three (probably some late brood) 

 were seen flying south on September 4. Swallows and Martins left in very 

 large flocks, September 29 ; but stragglers were noticed in the district up 

 to October 16. I noticed no Wheatears in district after September 15, on 

 which day I saw a small company at Belford moor ; indeed, by this date 

 all our summer visitants appeared to have left the uplands, and taken their 

 departure for more sheltered localities or warmer climes. A pair of Willow 

 Wrens with three or four Greater Whitethroats, and other small birds were 

 seen in garden at Columba manse on September 20. The day was very 

 cold, a strong wind blowing from the north. September 30, Saw a con- 

 siderable flock of Redwings. October 6, more Redwings, and accompanied 

 by Fieldfares. Redwings and Fieldfares are generally seen in district from 

 October to April ; except the weather becomes very severe, when thej^ dis- 

 appear for a time, and return again as the weather moderates. Woodcocks 

 arrived upon the coast in considerable flocks during the second and third 

 weeks in October, and in still larger numbers in the latter part of Novem- 

 ber. A flock of Wild Swans was observed flying west on October 8, and 

 flocks of Wild Geese on September 30 and October 6. Other flocks were 

 seen at various times at Fenham and in other parts of the district ; but 

 the flocks were mostly small, and not of very frequent occurrence. Up to 

 the end of the year few rare birds were seen in the district. A Spotted 

 Eagle (Aquila clanga, Dresser) was shot at Cresswell, on the coast, on 

 October 31. This specimen has been pi-eserved by Mr R. Duncan, New- 

 castle ; and a description of it by Mr J. H. Gurney will be found in the 

 Naturalist for February 1886. Mr Gurney says, "I could not ascertain 

 the sex of the Spotted Eagle — it is undoubtedly a bird of the year ; the 

 length from the carpal joint to the top of the wing is 20| inches ; the 

 feathers on the nape of the neck are rufons-brown in the centime, decidedly 

 differing in tint from the other brown portions of the plumage. I think 

 the Eagle is an example of A. clanga, as the feathers with the rufous centres 

 are scattered over the whole of the back of the neck." The record of the 

 capture of this specimen is most interesting, as it is entirely new to the 

 avi-fauna of Northumberland, and is perhaps the only well-authenticated 

 instance of the occurrence of this species in the British Islands. A Pere- 

 grine Falcon was shot at Howick on December 6. It was probably a bird 

 of the year, but I did not obtain particulars regarding it. 



An Albino Chaffinch. On December 8a" Snow-white " Chaffinch, with 

 a single brownish patch on the breast, was taken in a snare at Howick. It 

 is in the possession of a gentleman at Kirkwhelpington, and seems to be 

 thriving well in its cage. 



