The NATU RALIST 



For 18 88. 



HELIGOLAND. 



JOHN CORDEAUX, M.B.O.U., 

 Great Cotes, Ulceby, Luicolnshire. 



The Ornithology of Heligoland should have a special interest for 

 Yorkshire naturalists, from the fact that Flamborough Head lies 

 almost exactly in the latitude of this north-sea island."^ Migrating 

 birds which pass Heligoland are seen to travel directly westward ; 

 consequently, it is reasonable to presume that some portion of these 

 eventually strike the Yorkshire coast, ^vlr. J. H. Gurney, jun., has, 

 with much diligence, drawn up a comparative tablet showing special 

 coincidences in the migration of the same species to Heligoland and 

 the east coast of England, and he enumerates at least twenty-seven 

 instances in which well-marked migratory movements on that island 

 may be correlated with similar movements on the English coast 

 between the years 1868 and 1883. Had the materials at Mr. Gurney's 

 disposal been fuller and more complete, no doubt many other cor- 

 responding movements than those recorded by him might have 

 been adduced. 



The occurrence of the Rustic Bunting fnow in the York 

 Museum; both at Spurn and at Heligoland on the same day, 

 Sept. 17th, 1881, with light variable easterly winds, is interesting as 

 further connecting the two localities. The Barred Warbler and 

 Desert Chat are now also recorded from both places, and the Arctic 

 Bluethroat and Shorelark have in late years been observed in some 

 numbers on the coast at or near Spurn. 



In drawing a comparison between the two localities it must be 

 borne in mind that Heligoland has great advantages as an ornitho- 

 logical station from its isolated position and the smallness of the 

 area to be observed, and the comparatively large number of those 

 living there who can at once recognise a strange visitor when it 

 appears, as well also from the fact that it lies in the track of a 

 much-used and well-established highway of migration. On the other 



* Plamborough Head, Lat. 54' 7' N. ; Heligoland, Lat. 54^ lo' 46" N. 

 t Trans. Norfolk anr] Norwich Naturalists' Society, vol. iv, part I, pp. 52-61. 

 Jan. 1888. 



