GBASSHOPPEB-WABBLEB 



It is difficult, for instance, to understand why in Italy 

 and Hungary — countries affording natural features eminently 

 suitable to its habits — the bird is scarce. The great plains of 

 Hungary and the banks of the Danube always appear to me 

 to be particularly adapted to it, yet I cannot believe that in 

 a country where the natural life is studied with so great an 

 interest the bird is overlooked. These remarks apply equally 

 to the Netherlands, and to some extent Belgium. 



The migration across Heligoland, where it occurs not 

 infrequently in March, April, May, August, September and 

 October, is completely at variance with the present knowledge 

 of its distribution. According to Heinrich Gatke, the spring 

 migration in Heligoland invariably proceeds from west to 

 east ; but in the case of this species, where ? A glance at the 

 map will show that we are here near 55° N. latitude, above 

 which, until we reach 25° longitude, the bird can only be 

 described as rare. Those individuals, therefore, that cross 

 the island — and the evidence tends to show that their 

 numbers are considerable — must, after leaving, turn south- 

 wards into Germany, or continuing east, use this as their route 

 to the Baltic provinces and Central Eussia. But the winter 

 quarters, as far as we know, are in Morocco, Algeria and the 

 South of Spain. Is it, then, conceivable that in order to reach 

 its summer home it would traverse so great and unnecessary 

 a distance ? In the opinion of Heinrich Gatke, the majority 

 of spring migrants from South Africa on their way to Siberia 

 do not pass Heligoland, but go direct. It is probable, there- 

 fore, that there is much to be learnt concerning the northern 

 breeding range. 



LIFE-HISTORY. 



Different species vary very considerably in character; 

 some are lethargic and dull, others are the possessors of great 

 nervous development, so that the study of some is more likely 

 to lead to the solution of Nature's problems than the study of 



