EAST COAST OF ENGLAND. 68 



place with the wind at E. or N.E., the body of birds is to the 

 south of us about Whitby and southward." 



Notwithstanding the enormous number of immigrants arriving, 

 as shown in our retm-ned schedules from each station, we may be 

 quite certain these returns only represent an almost inappreciable 

 percentage of the actual number on passage. On days of 

 uncertain light or on clear fine starlight nights, when migration 

 is carried on at a considerable height, immense numbers of birds 

 might pass any station for hours without a chance of observation ; 

 and it is quite possible that, if the whole three hundred miles of 

 coast were studded with floating posts of observation at the 

 distance of half a mile, equal average results would have been 

 obtained, our present stations on the light-vessels affording no 

 more especial line of advantage than any other imaginary line 

 drawn across the North Sea. Incredible although it may appear, 

 we believe that the vast majority of the immigrants coming to us 

 in the autumn in one broad front from east to west are such as 

 cross with the intention of remaining the winter in some part or 

 other of the British Islands, and naturally take the place of our 

 own resident summer species which have left, or are about 

 leaving us, for the south. 



As in 1879 the main line of migration has been a broad 

 stream from east to west, and covering the whole of the English 

 east coast, this is the line mainly followed by the Passeres. 

 Taking this line as a basis, we find birds also occasionally 

 coming from points north of east; but in the vast majority of 

 instances the migration has had a decidedly southerly trend, 

 coming from points south of east, and even direct from the 

 southward. Again, there is in the autumn always a steady stream 

 of migrants which closely follows the coast-line from N. to S., 

 composed of birds either moving from more northerly districts of 

 our islands, or of such immigrants coming from the east as strike 

 the coast in more northern latitudes and then follow it to the 

 south. The great wide E. to W. stream of migration is composed 

 of some few well-known species which regularly come to us in the 

 autumn, the great body undoubtedly remaining to winter ; placed 

 in order of rotation according to their numerical superiority or 

 otherwise, we find Alauda arvensis, Sturnus vulgaris, Corvus 

 comix Sindfrugilegus, the Turdidce, including two native and two 

 northern species,with sparrows, linnets, and chalfinches compose 



