10 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 
and may remain a month, and odd birds are shot even in February 
in the lower covers. Thomas Wood, Esq., British Consul at 
Patras——an authority for the locality,—says that Woodcock 
come in November with a N.W. wind most freely, but in 
December with a N.E. wind. 
By a study of the area over which the Woodcock breeds, of 
the time they take in flight, and of a comparison of the dates 
of arrivals at Heligoland and East British Coasts with the 
above,—it seems pretty clear, I think, that the early flight, 
which extends along the whole Albanian coast is composed 
entirely of birds bred amongst the higher levels of their southern 
range, coming probably from the Carpathians and as far south 
as the Balkans, as well as from high localities even nearer to 
the Albanian coast and coverts. It seems to us also equally 
clear that the December flight, preferring the beam wind from 
the N.E., comes from the western parts of North Europe, having 
originally started from the breeding areas of the extreme north. 
On starting, we will say, from the N. of Scandinavia, or Scan- 
dinavia, and other parts of the breeding range, they arrive on 
our coasts about October (our first flight). This corresponds 
with the first flight on the Albanian coast a month later. Birds 
reaching us congregate upon our islands under the genial in- 
fluence of the Gulf Stream, but may finally be drawn off by 
December, and constitute a portion at least of the great flight 
at Corfu, where one ship’s sportsmen have been known to kill 
something ike 300 cock in a day or two (I have not the figures, 
but they are accessible, if necessary). 
Regarding the subject of the arrival of young birds in advance 
of the adults in autumn, the Committee, we think, should look 
at the movements exhibited by, and distinctly observable in, 
certain species. Those, perhaps, most easily observed are the 
larger NVatatores, such as Geese and Swans and Gannets, whose 
distinct movements can be watched year after year, and recorded 
with almost absolute certainty. We do not intend to dilate 
upon the importance of this method at present, but in the con- 
nection will merely quote a significant passage from Mr Robert 
Gray’s “ Birds of the West of Scotland,” and to supplement it 
by saying that there can be no doubt as to the accuracy of the 
observations made, as they are well known to the inhabitants. 
1 Op. cit., pp. 349, 350. 
