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president’s address. 
Mr. Preston has also contributed his usual valuable Meteorological 
Eeport, Mr. Southwell that on the progress of the Castle-Museum, 
and Mr. W. G. Clarke a contribution to the Fauna of the Thetford 
district. From time to time we have also been favoured with the 
Natural History Notes from Yarmouth by Mr. Patterson. 
Of papers read before the Society, which will not be found 
printed in its ‘ Transactions,’ may be mentioned, one by 
Mr. Southwell on the “ Digest of the Observations on the 
Migration of Birds,” prepared by Mr. Eagle Clarke, and presented 
to the British Association at their Liverpool meeting. The 
investigations of the Migration Committee revealed the fact, that 
there are two main migratory routes to and from our shores ; one of 
which in spring takes a north-easterly direction leading to Northern 
Europe, the other at the same season takes a direction more or less 
east to west from the Continent, crossing the southern portion of 
the North Sea : in autumn these routes are reversed. The birds 
of passage by the northern route arrive and depart from the portion 
of the British Coast lying north of the Wash, arriving and 
departing during the hours of darkness ; whereas those using the 
southern route arrive and depart from the East Coast south of 
the Lincolnshire border, passing the narrow sea by daylight. 
The meteorological aspect of the subject was found to reveal some 
rather unlooked-for results, the direction of the wind having little 
influence upon the movements of the birds, provided it be not too 
strong. The frequency of migratory movements during winds 
blowing from a certain direction was explained by the fact, 
that, easterly and south-easterly winds usually accompany the 
anti-cyclonic type of weather favourable to such movements. 
Temperature also influences the migratory movements very con- 
siderably, and fog caused the birds to wander out of their course; 
but gales of wind which sometimes overtake the migrants during 
their passage are still more fatal, often driving them into unwonted 
localities, or causing them to perish at sea from exhaustion or want 
of food. 
Mr. Southwell also, at the April meeting, continued his remarks 
upon some of the rarer birds in the Castle-Museum (for which 
