QQ REPORT ON THK MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



and captured one of them with little difficulty. " It appeared 

 quite tame, I approaching it within four feet. We placed a spare 

 cage we hud, with some linseed, within six feet of it. The hird 

 went in at once, and is still alive. It drank fresh water to 

 excess after being caught, and was ill all next day. It revived 

 afterwards, and is doing well." 



From Turnberry lighthouse there is no return, but Mr. Andrew 

 writes, birds were scarcer than usual. But as this is a station 

 where there is usually some migration discernible he hopes to 

 send returns in future. Like others of our reporters, he naturally 

 complains of his difficulty about the names of the birds ; but if 

 he will only enter such as he is sure of, and send me the head 

 and wings of others, or even the wings alone, and by attaching 

 a bit of cardboard and a number to them, and a corresponding 

 number in the schedule instead of a name, I could in most cases 

 be able to identify them.* 



From Cape Wrath lighthouse comes the following P.O. : — 

 " There are no land-birds at this station, with the exception of 

 Grouse. The same schedule will apply every year for the sea- 

 birds, as they come and go within a week of the same time. 

 Eight years' experience." I may just once more try to explain 

 that it is exactly this week of difference in time, one year with 

 another, which the Committee desire to collect statistics about 

 as regards sea-fowl and rock-birds. < M 



TuRDiDiE. — The spring migration on the West Coast seems 

 almost to have escaped notice. At Stornoway Thrushes were 

 heard on Feb. 19th and 20th, and heard and seen on the 27th, 

 but these may have been residents. 



The autumn migration, however, is almost as marked as on 

 the East Coast, the time and extent agreeing, though numerically, 

 as might be expected, not so great. Extent as follows : — Storno- 

 way in the north (light), Island Glass (indication), Monach (do.), 

 Barra Head (considerable), and on the mainland and Inner 

 Hebrides from Kyleakin (light), Skerry vore (distinct and con- 

 siderable), Dhuheartach (light), Sound of Mull (indication), 

 M'Arthur's Head (a few), Ehinns of Islay.(a few), Skervuile (a 

 few), Lamlash (light), Corsewall (heavy), Loch Eyan (consider- 

 able). The above remarks apply principally to Blackbirds and • 



* A general request to this effect will be found in our latest issue of 

 Letters of Instruction. 



