276 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



Committee, who had undertaken to collect and 

 report upon them. The experiment has already 

 borne fruit. Nine Annual Reports have been 

 published, which have been admirably summarised 

 by Mr W. Eagle Clarke of the Royal Scottish 

 Museum, Edinburgh, and the Committee are already 

 in a position to draw some useful conclusions from 

 the statistics collected — conclusions, moreover, 

 which are being strengthened and confirmed by 

 continued observation. The best returns (as might 

 be expected) have been received from isolated 

 stations, lighthouses on islands, and skerries ofif 

 the coast, as well as light vessels. From light- 

 houses some distance inland, or surrounded by 

 houses, few returns are received. 



Amongst the general conclusions at which 

 the Committee were enabled to arrive from the 

 statistics collected are the following : — 



On the east coasts of Scotland and England the 

 main line of migration during the autumn takes 

 the form of a broad stream from east to west, cover- 

 ing the whole of the east coast. This is the line 

 mainly followed by the passerine birds. 



Sea-fowl, as a rule, migrate some distance out 

 at sea ; waders along the coast. 



Birds have been observed to cross at all hours 

 of the day and night, and in all weathers. They 

 seldom fly dead to windward, except with very 

 light breezes, and strong opposing winds retard 

 their passage. When the wind changes during the 

 passage, they are observed to alter their course 

 accordingly. 



