11 



D. Species arriving on the south-east coast from Essex 

 to Hants. 

 Ring-Ouzel, Redstart, Nightingale, Reed-Warbler, 

 Wryneck. 



The Ring -Ouzel is placed under both routes A and D, as 

 the earlier arrivals, which included our breeding-birds, 

 appeared first in the west. After an interval of two or three 

 weeks, another immigration was noted in the south-east, but 

 this latter movement probably consisted of continental 

 breeding-birds which were merely passing through the 

 country on their way north. 



The Terns which arrived simultaneously at their breeding- 

 places on the east and west have not been included in the 

 above lists, for, on the spring migration at all events, they do 

 not appear to follow the coast very closely. Although they 

 arrive on the east and west, and therefore technically travel 

 by routes A and D, they are obviously not following the 

 same lines as the land-birds. 



Records of the arrival of the White Wagtail in 1908 were 

 so scanty that we have not included it under any particular 

 lis I. 



From the various criticisms that have reached us it 

 appears that the areas of arrival are not fully understood, 

 and we think that a few words of explanation may not be 

 out of place. 



It has been pointed out by our critics that these routes are 

 rather arbitrary, and to a large extent dependent on the 

 observers, who may or may not record the arrival in force of 

 any particular species. It has been further pointed out that 

 this accounts for the fact that species apparently arrive by 

 different routes in different years. 



These arguments are to a certain extent true, but it must 

 be remembered that the routes are not given as final. 

 They were founded in the first year of our investigations on 

 the observations of that year ; and although we have since 

 made considerable advances in our knowledge, we think it of 

 great importance to keep our yearly Reports as uniform as 



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