MARCH CUCKOOS 



The migration of birds has now been so long- 

 and so patiently studied by good observers in 

 different parts of the country that we may indicate 

 with confidence the average date of arrival of all 

 our summer visitors, and even say where they spend 

 the months in which they are absent from England. 

 Especially is this the case with some of the better- 

 known species, because more frequently observed, 

 such as the Swallow and Sand Martin, the Chiff- 

 chaff, Wheatear, Nightingale, and Cuckoo. These 

 birds are more or less familiar to the majority of 

 country folks, and many persons make a practice of 

 looking for their earliest and latest appearance and 

 reporting the dates for publication. Unfortunately, 

 there are people who do not distinguish, let us say, 

 a Swallow from a House Martin, or a Cuckoo from 

 a Sparrow Hawk, but who nevertheless do not 

 hesitate to chronicle their mistakes as if they were 

 facts, too often appending only their initials, or some 

 nom de plume, which makes it impossible for any 

 serious recorder to utilise their observations. 



Obviously the most trustworthy records are those 

 which have been kept by some observant naturalist 

 in one locality uninterruptedly for many years, and 

 fortunately for our guidance several such series of 



354 



