HEINRICH GATKE : BIRD-NOTES FROM HELIGOLAND. 



February. 



1st. — S.W., stormy; the whole night stormy, snow and hail, squalls. 

 Nothing. 



2nd., 3rd., and 4th.— Shifting wind, feeble, snow. 

 5th. — Shifting wind ; forenoon, snow, fog. 

 6th. —Clear, 3° ; S.E. and E.S.E., feeble. 



Nothing ; night, three or four single Larks ; Turdus 

 merula, T. pilaris^ stragglers. 



7th. —2°. 



Tiirdus inerula^ old, Alauda arve7isis, N.E., both few. 

 Turdus merula during night. 

 8th. —S.E.— S.W., feeble. 



Tiirdus merula, pretty many, old ; Fringilla inontifrin- 

 gilla, Linota cannabina, and L. flavirostris, pretty many. 

 9th. — S.S.W., still, 2°. 



loth. — S.E., feeble, clear and fog interchanging; night, strong hoar-frost, i to 2°. 

 nth. — S.E., thick fog, hoar-frost. 

 1 2th. — Still shifting, 2°. 



Many Larks on cliff. 

 13th. — S.S.E., fresh, 2°. 



Many Larks, and 50 or 60 Starlings. The latter giving 

 cause to believe that migration has already commenced. 

 14th. — S. and S. by W., feeble, thick, i°. 

 15th. — S.E., feeble, thick, overcast. 



Sturnus vulgaris^ early, hundreds on the move ; 

 Alauda arvensis early, thousands migrating, W. — E., 

 also during night. 

 i6th.— Fog, 3°, S.E., moderate. 



17th. — E.S.E., feeble, until 27th, E., moderate and slight, i to 3^, thick, overcast. 

 23rd, 24th, and 25th. 



Many Larks, hundreds of thousands eastwards over- 

 head and over sea. The last day by evening many 

 returning westward. On the 27th one Pratincola rubicola. 

 28th. — E. and S.E., very violent, clear, 5°. 

 Nothing. 



March. 



1st. — E. and S.S.E., stormy, clear; early, 7° in evening; night very stormy. 

 2nd. — S.E., very stormy, force 9; early, clear; 11 a.m., thick, with snow, 8°; 



afternoon, snow shower ; evening, still. 

 3rd. — E.N.E.; early, still, thick, 5°. 



Erithacus rubecula, one with the fowls, many fights ; 

 Fuligula 7narila ; single F. ferina ; Mergus serrator\ and 

 Cygfius musicus. 

 4th. — N.N.W.— W.N., fresh, cloudy, thaw. 

 Oct. 1887. 



