314 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



these intelligent and well-informed observers. I did call 

 upon them, but they courteously informed me that they 

 could not afford me the information I desired, until they 

 obtained permission to do so from headquarters. 



There can be no doubt that had we been permitted 

 to remain in peace upon the island until the early days 

 of October, we should have obtained some interesting 

 details regarding the species and their movements. 

 Enough, however — thanks chiefly to the lighthouse- 

 keepers — has been ascertained to prove that Ushant is 

 a station of first-rate importance as an observatory for 

 witnessing the movements of migratory birds ; and thus 

 the primary object of our visit was accomplished. 



The Consul strongly advised us to quit France, lest 

 we should experience further annoyance elsewhere, if we 

 remained in Brittany, and we decided to proceed, to the 

 Channel Islands, selecting Alderney as being the most 

 favourably situated for our investigations. 



It should be remarked that Alderney is singularly 

 destitute of trees, and therefore many of the resident 

 and summer birds, which are natives of other islands of 

 the group, are absent, while others are uncommon. Some 

 of these, however, occur as birds of passage. Here, 

 between 22nd and 29th September, we witnessed two 

 decided movements — namely, on the 25 th and 26th; when, 

 among other species, the Mistle-Thrush, Ring-Ouzel, 

 Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Willow- Wren, Spotted Flycatcher, 

 Pied Flycatcher, Turtle- Dove, Water- Rail, and Common 

 Snipe appeared as immigrants. Unfortunately we were 

 unable to say whether these birds arrived froni the east 

 after traversing the Channel coast of France, or from 

 the north after leaving our own southern shores. 



