78 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



Berwick, behind the pier, on Oct. 12th. This is the latest date I 

 have on the east coast of Scotland. I place the note here — under 

 the west coast report — for special comparison with the following : — 

 Wheatear. — An unusually late stay of this species is recorded by 

 Mr. Service in Wigtonshire {vide ' Zoologist,' Feb. 1881, pp. 54, 

 55). Since the note appeared in ' The Zoologist,' I have had 

 some more correspondence regarding these late Wheatears — 7th 

 December. Mr. Bruce is strongly of my opinion, that these birds 

 u^ere really migrating when they flew away northwards, as they 

 were seen still carrying on when fully a mile away. Before this 

 they had remained for two or three days with Bullfinches. About 

 six weeks afterwards ''these same Bullfinches" took a similar 

 route and disappeared ; they were seen departing. I am inclined 

 to agree with my friend and fellow-worker, Mr. Cordeaux, that 

 these Wheatears probably belonged to the larger race, which 

 have more arboreal habits than our own. If this is so, the 

 observation made by Mr. Bruce still further bears out the 

 probability of their foreign origin. As regards the more arboreal 

 habits of the larger race, I have explained elsewhere ('Ibis,' 1876, 

 p. 310) that arboreal habits of such species as Gulls, Curlews, 

 Snipe, Snow Buntings, &c., in North-east Kussia, are probably 

 brought about by the flooded conditions of the country there, at 

 the time of the arrival in spring of these migrants. The habit 

 no doubt grows and even becomes hereditary, and is carried into 

 other countries and other climes in autumn. Larger races 

 usually indicate more northern extension, and, in my opinion, 

 abnormal arboreal habits of certain species indicate that they are 

 natives of a land subject to constantly recurring floods. For 

 these reasons I am still inclined to adhere to my opinion that 

 these Wigtonshire Wheatears, at the late date of Dec. 9th, 1880, 

 were resting during their regular migration, and departed again 

 upon an extension of that same migration. They were, in my 

 belief, strangers, and not bred in the country. 



Hedgesparrow. — See under Linnet. 



Wagtail. — At Dhuheartach, q, rush of Wagtails was observed 

 upon Aug. 17th, 18th, 24th, and 26th, wind light and from S.W\ 

 on 17th and 18th, when twelve were seen each day flying in a 

 south-easterly direction — to E.S.E. and-S.E. on 24th — when two 

 or three rested upon the rock. We had no records of this in 

 1879. 



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