MIGEATIONS OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
333 
sontli- eastern Eiirope_, and repairs to the delta of the Nile in 
large flocks ; sometimes it is driven by stress of weather to 
the islands of the mid and western Mediterranean. The 
northern portion of Africa is a favourite resort for the starling 
in winter_, when flocks may be constantly seen all over the 
south of Europe ; they quit^ however^ in spring and go north- 
wards. The jay has been recorded as migratory_, and said to 
frequent North Africa^ Malta_, and Egypt. We cannot_, how- 
ever^ And any authentic conflrmation of this statement. All 
the European flycatchers cross the Mediterranean very punc- 
tually. The spotted bird is by far the most numerous^ next 
the pied^ and in a much less proportion^, the white-necked 
flycatcher. The first has a very extensive geographical range^ 
embracing the whole continent of Africa and Europe^ and 
breeds in great numbers even in North Britain^ where we 
have seen large flocks in autumn pursuing their retrograde 
course southwards. The woodchat shrike seems to be the 
only representative of the family that regularly leaves Europe 
in winter ; its red-backed congener has been said to migrate 
to North Africa. The flnches are always late in migrating in 
autumn^ and leave North Africa long before the other birds of 
passage ; at all times much depends on the severity of the 
weather^ their numbers increasing or diminishing accordingly. 
No doubE like the thrushes and other species indigenous to 
temperate climes_, many individuals extend their range during 
the winter months, not so much from failure of food, as the 
cold weather allows them to wander over regions inimical to 
their constitutions and wants in summer ; from this cause and 
the state of the climate in north and mid- Europe, together 
with the transporting power of gales, may be attributed the 
pretty regular appearance of flocks of the following flnches 
on the islands and southern shores of the great inland ocean. 
The linnet is plentiful in Egypt and North Africa in winter ; 
small flocks of the chafiinch, greenfinch, goldflnch, common 
buntings, sirinflnch, grosbeak, and ortolan may be seen among 
the tamarisk and olive groves of North Africa at the same 
season, whilst a few solitary individuals of the crossbill, 
scarlet grosbeak, reed and meadow buntings, cirl and bramble 
finches, tree and rock sparrows, find their way in winter to the 
islands and southern shores of the Mediterranean. The cuckoo 
1 and wryneck are among the foremost birds of passage that cross 
I to and from Africa, and both seem to have much the same geo- 
graphical distribution. We have heard the cuckooes welcome 
note among the carol trees of Malta in March ; in the north of 
Europe in May; among the stunted birch trees on the confines 
of perpetual snow on the Himalayan mountains in July ; and 
often recognized its handsome form among* the orange groves 
on the torrid plains of India as late as November. 
