116 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The year has passed almost without a single occurrence of 

 such regular migrants as the Glaucous Gull, Little Auk, Fulmar 

 Petrel, and three species of Buzzard. No Eider Ducks are 

 reported, although Mr. Paynter describes them as having had an 

 unusually prolific breeding season at the Fame Islands. The 

 chief occurrences of 1898 are a Roller, two Little Bustards, four 

 Cranes, and a Ruddy Shelduck. In August there was a large 

 migration of Crossbills, which are not, strictly speaking, autumn 

 migrants. September was far too mild to delay rare birds on 

 passage, which, according to previous experience in open weather, 

 pass over Norfolk ; but the common immigrants generally come 

 to us as much in fine weather as in foul, that is, those like the 

 Blackbird, Grey Crow, and Shore Lark, which have no intention 

 of going farther than England. 



In October there were marked arrivals of Scaup Ducks, 

 Bewick's Swans, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, and Goldcrests, 

 the two latter extending far to the northward of Norfolk. Mr. 

 Cordeaux reports " there has been no such arrival of Goldcrests 

 at Humber mouth since 1892"; but it is probable that neither 

 then, nor now, was Norfolk so largely visited as Yorkshire. 



November was uneventful, but in December Blackbirds must 

 have poured in, judging from the numbers seen when covert- 

 shooting. A very considerable influx of Kingfishers and Wood- 

 Pigeons took place, and at the end of the month some Woodcocks 

 arrived, in good condition. 



It might be expected that immigrants, on reaching our shores, 

 would be more or less exhausted ; but, on the contrary, no one 

 who watches Sky-Larks, Crows, Jackdaws, Hawks, &c, coming 

 in from the sea can fail to be struck by the methodical way in 

 which they fly on, and never alight while the eye can follow them. 

 Woodcocks and Blackbirds also, which have evidently only been 

 in England a few hours, are found when shot to be in plump con- 

 dition, and none the worse for their long voyage. 



And now a few words on migration. Without doubt it is the 

 wind and weather in Scandinavia which influence the start of the 

 ordinary autumn immigrants, such as those we have referred to — 

 Woodcocks, Blackbirds, Redwings, and Wood-Pigeons ; but in 

 the case of birds which set out from Eastern Russia it is different 

 — e.g. the Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Macqueen's Bustard, and 



