70 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



** Biionapartian Gull, in April 1851 or 1852. Black-tailed God- 

 wit, April, about same date. Shoveller found breeding, and two 

 since shot by keeper. Two Wood Sandpipers, one in August and 

 the other on Oct. 4th. One Little Stint in October, seen in 

 company with two others. The Spotted Crake must breed, as 

 every autumn I meet with them when Snipe-shooting. The 

 Shrike I obtained once in December, 1866, and I saw another 

 two or three winters since." I think if we thus endeavour to 

 group together rare occurrences, and collect lists from various 

 localities, we cannot fail to arrive at some conclusions regarding 

 the highways of migration. We are thus working from data up 

 to facts, without an undue amount of theorising. 



It is well known to naturalists that Swallows cross the Alps 

 by certain passes, as is also done by other species, regularly 

 year after year. People have often marvelled at the punctuality 

 of appearance of the Swallow and other species at certain 

 favourite resorts. There is nothing marvellous in it. When 

 the great general movement takes place, and the flights of birds 

 pass over old frequented and well-known spots, these are 

 recognised and jDromptly occupied by the hereditary occupants, 

 or, if found unoccupied by later migrants, they are then filled up. 

 This remark applies both in spring and autumn. In a former 

 Eeport I have instanced the arrivals of Wood Pigeons on the 

 Fife coast, and I have also instanced breeding-sites of birds 

 occupied for many years, unoccupied for two or more years, 

 and then reoccupied again. I am informed by Mr. A. B. Herbert 

 that some of the favourite alpine passes for the annual mi- 

 gration of birds are the Albula and Bermina Passes into the 

 Adda Valley and Lake Como, returning the same way in 

 spring. If this regularity occurs during the passage of the 

 bulk of migratory birds, I think there are good reasons for 

 believing that a similar regularity appears in the distribution 

 along certain lines of rare visitants, even if travelled all the 

 way from America or the Asiatic steppes and tundras. No 

 doubt they get into the groove — so to speak — and carry on in 

 company with the main flocks of other species, joining issue with 

 them along the great highways of migration, which I think have 

 been well pointed out in many cases by Palmen and Herr 

 Weissmann. Though the article by the latter has been 

 abundantly criticised and even pooh-poohed, I venture to record 



