ROBINS ON MIGRATION. 13 



fact that owing to the marked unevenness of the surface, with 

 its innumerable crevices and projections, the bird is frequently 

 not seen in its entirety. Hence it is that if one catches sight 

 of a bird apparently about the same size as the Eobin, and at 

 the same time only its breast and head are visible, and if in 

 the twinkle of an eye it disappears by dropping into a crevice, 

 one must not conclude, because the bird displayed a reddish - 

 coloured breast, that it was a Robin. In certain light, when a 

 curious lurid glare seems to accentuate the colour of everything 

 on the rock, I have more than once mistaken Wheatears, with 

 particularly richly shaded chestnut breasts, for Robins ; and the 

 female Stonechat has been pointed out to me as a Robin. I can 

 quite understand a lightkeeper mistaking a male Chaffinch in an 

 exhausted condition for a Robin, especially in the spring, when 

 the breast is very richly shaded. For much of the characteristic 

 demeanour of the Chaffinch is masked, and instead of seeing a 

 smart perky little finch hopping about in a dainty fashion, all 

 the while uttering its familiar " spink " note, we see an appar- 

 ently rotundly built bird, its feathers all puffed out, and at 

 the same time we note that the white on the wing is occluded by 

 the overlapping back-feathers. In such a condition this bird 

 seldom utters a note, and if it were observed breast on, it might 

 be taken for a Robin. In regard to mistaken identity, I was 

 much interested to learn from Mr. Glanville that the Black 

 Redstart* went by the name of the young Robin by some 

 lightkeepers, a mistake which he frankly admitted he shared 

 some years ago. ■ 



In regard to the migration route taken by the above birds 

 recorded by me from the Tuskar Light- Station, I cannot, as 

 already mentioned, offer much comment. One would naturally 

 class them as taking one of three routes : — (a) As descending 

 from more northerly latitudes east of the British Isles, and 

 travelling in a south-westerly direction, reaching Ireland as 

 autumn immigrants ; however, on account of their plumage they 

 do not appear to resemble the Continental form of Robin, and so 

 I am not in favour of adopting the view that they took this route. 

 (b) As cross-Channel emigrants from Scotland or England and 



* Probably the adult feraale and immature of either sex of the Common 

 Eedstart were thought also to be young Robins, 



