774 
the month; and one or more of that species were observed at 
JNorthrepps, on the coast, throughout the winter. Of the dates 
of arrival of summer migrants, I may further quote the following 
trom various correspondents .-—Cuckoo, 14th, at A^orthrepps° 
1 ightiiigale, 10th, on the Ipswich and Uiithank’s Eoads, Norwich, 
and Eeepham a few days earlier, Thorpe 20th, Keswick and 
larmouth 22nd; Blackcap, 10th, Woodbastwick; Swallow, 18th, 
Keswick, 19th, Thorpe Eiver ; Sand Martin, 19th, Thorpe Eiver; 
Eedstart, 16th, Eaton. On the 21st, at Eaton, a bright spring day' 
with a south-west wind, I heard and saw, in the sheltered copse of 
“Blue-hell Hole,” Nightingales, Eedstarts, Willow Wrens, Black- 
caps, and ChiflPchaffs, and three Eed-back Shrikes on a neighbouring 
fence. Neither in the village nor on the river did I see a single 
Swallow or Martin of either species. 
There is . nothing, to my mind, more unsatisfactory than the 
general records of so-called first arrivals of our summer warblers, 
as, so far as my experience goes, there is little or nothing to be 
learnt by them. There is an average time for the arrival of all 
such bu'ds, and be the season early or late, it seems to make but 
little difference. An early Cuckoo or Nightingale, like the Swallow, 
does not make a summer; and stragglers in advance of the migra- 
tory host may occur in a cold as well as a warm spring. Such 
“ early bird,” if he finds a warm, genial, air on arrival, will burst at 
once into song, and be recognized ; but, however warm previously, 
if the “ early bird ” is met by a sudden change to cold, on arrival, 
lie keeps silent and sheltered till the first bright morning, when 
his cheery notes will certainly not register “ the time of his coming.” 
I cannot see, also, as fondly believed by many, how a forward 
spring in this country should necessarily lead to an early arrival 
of migrants from the far south; but, when these, impelled by 
sexual influences, have reached our southern shores on their north- 
ward passage, I can imagine a warm spring would then hurry 
them on to their accustomed nesting-places,’ whilst adverse and 
cutting winds would, probably, delay them for days in our most 
southern counties. Siu-ely the temperature in the localities whence 
they take their departure, combined with and influencing the 
instinct of propagation, must guide their movements, rather than 
the sunny days with us that have advanced vegetation ; or why, 
otherwise, should we find, in many a backward spring, or in one 
