300 Bird Migration in Solway. [Sess. 



au indefinable something which . is unmistakable to the 

 experienced observer, but that cannot be described in set 

 terms. One thing seems tolerably certain, and that is, such 

 migration mornings in autumn always occur when the barom- 

 eter has just commenced to fall. These shore - gatherings 

 that I have been describing consist almost exclusively of such 

 species as Warblers, Titlarks, Wagtails, Finches, Eobins, Eed- 

 starts, Wheatears, and allied species. 



The Thrush tribe and the Swallows have a rather different 

 mode of leaving us in autumn. The Song-Thrush and the 

 Blackbird are specially interesting. These are both very con- 

 spicuous amongst the autumn migrants. This is so to a very 

 noticeable extent in the early mornings of late September and 

 the first week or two of October. And in their migration 

 movements, while it is quite apparent that they are travelling 

 in company, each species keeps strictly apart. Let me read to 

 you a note from ray journal of date 12th October 1897, in. 

 reference to the Blackbird : " On this morning migration was 

 evidently in full swing. There was a very light N.E. 

 current of wind, and small wisps of mist hung about the 

 lower grounds. Soon after daylight my attention was attracted 

 by an unusual number of Blackbirds, mostly young males, 

 sporting and feeding along the sunny side of a hedgerow. 

 The hedge was about 150 yards in length, and yet there 

 were more than sixty Blackbirds scattered along its base. 

 Probably they had only newly arrived there, for as I watched 

 them at their play they were being joined by others, singly, 

 and in twos and threes. But watch as closely as I could, 

 their direction of arrival could not be distinguished. They came 

 down from the upper air, becoming suddenly visible, some- 

 times three at a time, and after a short fluttering circuit, 

 joined their mates on the grass. I saw about a dozen birds 

 thus drop into view, but I quite failed to see any indication of 

 the point of the compass from whence they had come. The 

 newcomers did not show any signs of fatigue, but they were 

 evidently ravenously hungry, for they commenced to search 

 for food most eagerly. By midday not a single Blackbird was 

 to be seen at or near the place." 



Let me read another such extract of date 1st October 

 1901: "The hedgerows in the parks near my house were 



