188 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



became mild, a change which was quickly noted by all wild life. 

 On the nights of April 30th and May 1st the largest migration 

 of birds recorded for many years passed over Carlisle. Migra- 

 tion had been retarded during the previous cold and stormy 

 weather, and birds appeared to be passing over in one great 

 mass migration. Between eleven and twelve o'clock of the night 

 of May 1st the air seemed full of birds ; there was an incessant 

 chorus all round, and from out the babel were recognized 

 (D. L. T.) the notes of Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Black- 

 headed Gull, Geese, Mallard, Wigeon, Twite, and Warblers ; 

 even the House- Sparrow was on the move, one flying against 

 the house-wall at Loshville as Mr. Thorpe was entering. During 

 the following few days the Blackcap, Garden-, Sedge-, and 

 Willow- Warblers were noted, and also Lesser Tern, Redstart, 

 Swift, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Whitethroat, and Yellow 

 Wagtail ; the Cuckoo and Corn -Crake were also heard. 



On May 6th the Whooper Swan, which had returned to the 

 Eden on Feb. 1st, appeared to be restless ; on the following day 

 it was missing. We have in previous reports commented upon 

 this interesting and most unusual occurrence.* The bird has 

 now returned in 1909 for the fifth time, the date of its arrival 

 being Feb. 28th, exactly four weeks later than last year (1908), 

 which in turn is two months later than the date of its arrival in 

 the previous winter. The dates of its arrival and departure up 

 to the present are as follows : — Arrived (in young plumage), 

 December, 1904, left May 8th, 1905 ; returned Nov. 16th, 1905, 

 left April 29th, 1906 ; returned Nov. 30th, 1906, left May 7th, 

 1907 ; returned Feb. 1st, 1908, left May 6th, 1908 ; returned 

 Feb. 28th, 1909. Thus it is seen that, although the dates of 

 leaving are fairly uniform, the dates of arrival vary considerably, 

 and have been later each year since its first arrival in December, 

 1904. On the last two occasions (Feb. 1st, 1908, and Feb. 28th, 

 1909) its arrival was followed by cold wintry weather, though 

 previously the weather had been comparatively mild, tending to 

 show that its arrival is to a great extent controlled by climatic 

 or atmospheric conditions. 



Strangely enough, its return was reported to us in December, 

 1908, but the bird was not afterwards seen. It was subsequently 



- Cf. Eric B. Dunlop, Zool. 1906, p. 193. 



