BAST COAST OF ENGLAND. 67 



practically, such birds as the Lark and Starling are migrating all 

 the year round. In every case the migration of a set species will 

 continue, day by day, or week by week, till it attains the 

 maximum by a ''great rush," the main body passing, and then 

 gradually falling off, till the migration of that species is 

 completed. 



Independent of the normal or ordinary migration, we have 

 frequently local migrations, due to sudden changes of weather, or 

 in search of fresh feeding-grounds. These "great rushes" of 

 immigrants, coming helter-skelter on to our east coast, are often 

 accompanied or followed very closely by outbursts of severe 

 weather ; and a sudden increase of cold in winter will almost 

 clear a whole district of its birds ; in fact, all birds are very 

 susce^Dtible to changes of weather, and, if closely watched, will 

 indicate by their movements the coming change. On Jan. 12th, 

 in this year, when in the Humber marshes, I noticed Larks and 

 Snow Buntings passing from N. to S. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 

 separate flocks for some hom-s, and after 11 p.m., when the 

 snow commenced, continuous. 



Birds in the early autumn do not, it is evident, migrate for 

 lack of food, for the young of the Liinicoke are on our coast at a 

 time when the supply of insect-food in high northern latitudes is 

 the most abundant ; and our own insect-eating birds are often 

 away long before there is, or can be, any falling off in food. On 

 the same grounds it is not changes in the seasons which can 

 induce young birds, having no knowledge from experience, to 

 return south in the heat of the Arctic latter- summer ; as to the 

 Jiow and the why of the whole matter, we must be content for the 

 present to say nothing, but continue to collect facts. 



In 1880 the main body of the migrants crossed between the 

 15th and end of October, the greater number perhaps on the 17th 

 of that month. 



