Birds. 1335 



two distinguished foreign contributors, will be an inducement to col- 

 lect additional facts for comparison with such as I already possess. 

 Since writing on the migration of the kestril, I have noted the follow- 

 ing passage at p. 334, v. iii. of ' Macgillivray's British Birds.' " I have 

 not observed any deficiency in the number of kestrils in the district 

 bordering on the shores of the Firth of Forth in winter, when, on the 

 contrary, I think them more numerous than in summer. Probably, 

 like the martin, this species merely migrates from the interior to the 

 coast." Dr. Macgillivray, at the time when he wrote, resided in Edin- 

 burgh, and I look upon him as being a most excellent authority ; yet 

 the above statement only serves to render the cause which induces the 

 kestril to migrate from this county, and also from Walton Hall, still 

 more obscure. Many a time have he and I talked over this and other 

 matters relating to practical Ornithology, and I perfectly recollect that 

 what I have stated about the wagtails was equally puzzling. I find 

 that in his ' List of Birds to be found around Edinburgh in the winter 

 season/ v. i. p. " the song-thrush is stated to be plentiful ;" and 

 when narrating the habits of the fieldfare, he states " that the irrigated 

 meadows which occur in the neighbourhood of the city are the chosen 

 resort of many thrushes during hard weather : " but I am quite pre- 

 pared to prove that the vernal migration of song-thrushes in this 

 county takes place from the south and not from the west. 



It would be doing good service to Natural History were some out- 

 door naturalist, residing in Northumberland, Durham, or Yorkshire, 

 to ascertain these points : — 



1st. Are the above-mentioned rapacious birds migratory ? Do they 

 receive any addition to their numbers in October, taking particular 

 notice of the kestrils which Mr. Waterton states to be migratory : they 

 may only remove to the coast for a season and not cross the seas as 

 Mr. Waterton asserts. 



2nd. Ts the song-thrush migratory ? Are their numbers increased in 

 the beginning of November ? Do any of them depart about the end 

 of January ? 



3rd. Which of the wagtails are resident in his district ? 



4th. Are the titlarks migratory from the interior to the coast ? Do 

 they receive many visiters from the north in autumn, and when do 

 they depart ? 



5th. Apply the like queries to the reed bunting. 



6th. Is there any great influx of skylarks in or after the middle of 

 December, and any diminution of their number in February ? 



