390 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



in * The Ibis,' 1887, p. 187) has recorded it as occurring annually 

 on migration near the coast of Portugal from the middle of 

 September to end of October, but it does not appear to use 

 this route on the return journey in the spring, probably then 

 passing northward by the east coast of Spain, and its abundance 

 at that season at Valencia and Malaga seems to confirm the 

 supposition. 



Admitting the general correctness of the geographical distri- 

 bution of the Yellow Wagtail as defined by modern ornithologists, 

 an interesting problem arises as to the summer quarters of 

 those great numbers of M. rail which in the autumn arrive 

 on the east coast of England, presumably from the Continent 

 by an east to west route. The movement is regular and normal, 

 and frequently on a great scale, as the following selected notes 

 will show : — 



1885. At the Spurn, August 23rd ; thousands, " the whole 

 district ablaze with them." 24th ; less numbers (Migration 

 Report 1885, p. 43). 



1889. Sept. 5th, 9th, 13th, on Lincolnshire coast; swarming. 



1892. Sept. 13th, Lincolnshire coast; very heavy immigra- 

 tion, continuous all day, flocks, five to fifty, both adult and young, 

 coming in across sea from east (G. H. Caton Haigh, in litt., Sept., 

 ix., 1892). 



It would appear that either M. rail is much more numerous in 

 those districts forming the western portion of Central Europe than 

 is generally supposed, or that these great unmixed antumn flights 

 come to our shores from regions more distant than the western 

 fringe of Europe. It is curious that in their autumn wanderings 

 they do not bring across with them any of the blue-headed birds, 

 M.flava. So far we have failed to detect this species in the Humber 

 district, although often carefully looked for. The difference 

 in the time of migration of the two species must be considered 

 in this relationship, for on the Continent M. flava is later 

 in arriving by a month, and also earlier in departure than the 

 English bird. 



Ages ago, before the birth of the historic period, when the 

 pioneers of our Yellow Wagtails, pushing forward like a wedge 

 from the south, had appeared in that part of the western mainland 

 of Europe now distinguished as Great Britain, it is probable, 

 judging from the present known scarcity of the species in Ireland, 



