132 



as the Fieldfare, Blackbird, and Eedbreast, have been met with in 

 the lonely island of Jan Mayen. It seems absurd to suggest that 

 these individuals migrated thither on account of losing their 

 partners in some more southern clime. 



It is very difficult to foUow Herr Gatke in this theory. He 

 appears to consider that in the spring the impulse to migrate, and 

 the desire for propagation are identical. No doubt the state of 

 the breeding organs at this period has considerable influence in 

 causing the departure of birds from their winter quarters. But 

 when once the breeding grounds are reached and pairing has taken 

 place, it is difficult to see how their condition can re-kindle in 

 either survivor of a pair an impulse to travel many hundreds of 

 miles beyond their proper quarters in search of a fresh mate when 

 there must be opportunities to satisfy this desire near at hand. 



If we turn to the author's facts relating to the south of 

 England and examine them in the light of this theory, we shall 

 find still more remarkable evidence. Eef erring to the Bee-eater, 

 we find it stated (p. 121), that twenty examples were seen in one 

 day in Norfolk, and twelve were shot within the same period of 

 time at Helston, in Cornwall. We must, therefore, assume that 

 twenty individuals in the first case and twelve in the latter, 

 living in the same localities, had respectively lost their mates at 

 an identical period, and had started together on their migratory 

 flight afresh in search of new partners. We must also assume 

 that the victims were either all males or all females, otherwise we 

 should have expected the survivors to have paired among them- 

 selves. We, however, know that both sexes are represented 

 amongst the individuals of this species which reach our southern 

 counties. Moreover, the Bee-eater breeds freely in south-eastern 

 Europe and winters in north-western India. Therefore, under 

 the same circumstances, the species should visit HeUgoland pretty 

 frequently like the Black -headed Bunting. The reverse, however, 

 is the case. 



It will not be uninteresting to examine the geographical 

 ranges of the species said to reach Heligoland from regions lying 

 to the south-east of the island. 



Eleonora Falcon. — The Heligoland example of this Falcon 

 was seen by Aeuckens, but Tiot obtamed. The species was after- 



