6 



CORDEAUX: HELIGOLAND. 



The cases containing the Thrushes (I forget liow many examples 

 there are of Tardus varius alone), Larks, Wagtails, and Pipits are 

 all equally remarkable in the number of species represented as well 

 as the beauty of the specimens. To me, however, the most interesting 

 spot on the island was the garden adjoining the house, for in this 

 small but well-kept enclosure more rare stragglers have been either 

 recognised or obtained than in any other spot in Europe, and 

 Mr. Gatke has frequently remarked that he would willingly give up 

 his present collection to possess the rare unrecognised migrants which 

 from time to time have visited them. During my visit, however, it 

 rt-as dead low-water time, the autumn tide of migration having scarcely 

 commenced to flow. There are flowers and not birds to look at — 

 Heligoland roses are famous, but none we saw could compare with 

 those in this garden — the blooms especially of Le France, Baroness 

 Rothschild, and Souvenir de ]\Ialmaison being of extraordinar}^ size 

 and beauty. At the end of the garden farthest from the house is a 

 cluster of elders and willows, which are used as a ' throstle-bush,' of 

 which more later on ; beyond the 'throstle-bush' is a path or open 

 space, and then a row of rough-topped hawthon:!S against the 

 boundar}' wall. It was in this ' throstle-bush ' that Mr. Gatke took 

 that beautiful Pine Bunting in his collection, and he was in 

 the act of explaining to me his excitement in making the cap- 

 ture, when I happened to look into the thorns and saw sitting 

 within a few feet of us a male Crossbill in the red plumage, and 

 also a green female. Here, indeed, were some actual migrants 

 worth seeing. Mr. Gatke said that about twenty to thirty a day 

 had been coming in, and that I should probably find others in 

 the neighbouring gardens, that it is a dull stupid bird, and their 

 presence is readily recognised by their repeated call-notes. In these 

 Oberland gardens and the grounds of Government House there 

 is much good cover for birds, far more than appears from casual 

 inspection. 



Subsequently to my visit I received from Mr. Gatke two photo- 

 graphs of the garden, which are here reproduced, accompanied 

 by the following explanatory- notes : — ' In the willows to the left of 

 the house, of the one view of the garden, Mr. Seebohm failed to 

 obtain Phylloscopus superciliosus, a female, on the 4th of October, 1876, 

 and on the next day he succeeded in shooting a fine male in the 

 topmost branches of the willows of the other photograph — in both 

 instances I had seen the bird in the morning, and I was certain they 

 would return ere long to the willows — a favourite haunt of this little 

 leaf-warbler, as in fact of the whole of that family, particularly as they 

 prefer 5a//.v smithiana — which in consequence I always cultivate — 



Naturalist, 



