Mr. H. Seeboiim on the Ornithology of Heligoland. 159 
when, given the necessary wind and weather, its appearance 
may be confidently expected. 
The period of migration of each species lasts about a month. 
In spring the males come first, then the females, then last- 
year birds, and finally the cripples—birds which have lost their 
toes, birds with half a tail, birds with one mandible abnor¬ 
mally long, or birds with some other defect. Mr. Cordeaux 
has fallen into an error in saying (Ibis, 1875, p. 174) that this 
holds good both in spring and autumn; in autumn the order 
of migration is partially reversed. Astounding as the fact is, 
it is nevertheless true that in autumn the birds of the year 
are the first to migrate, birds which, of course, have never mi¬ 
grated before. This may account for the number of species 
which visit our shores and Heligoland in autumn only. It is 
not to be wondered at that on their first journey, and with¬ 
out a guide, they should stray somewhat out of the direct 
course. 
By long practice the Heligolanders know when to expect 
an arrival of birds. The 12th Oct. was a very unfavourable 
day. There were scarcely half a dozen birds on the island. 
This unfavourable weather had lasted nearly a week. I used 
to take a constitutional round the island with my gun twice 
or thrice a day, spending most of the rest of the time in Mr. 
Gaetke's studio chatting about his birds, visiting regularly 
Aeuckens the bird-stuffer, to inquire if any one else had had 
better luck. On the 11th I shot three Shore-Larks. Aeuckens 
told me that that was a very good sign, that he had often noticed 
that a few birds always preceded the favourable weather, and 
that we might expect a change and plenty of birds soon. 
The next day the west wind slackened a little. In the after¬ 
noon it was a calm. In the evening Mr. Gaetke advised me to 
go to bed early and be up before sunrise, as birds were ex¬ 
pected. Accordingly I turned into bed soon after ten. At 
half past twelve I was awoke with the news that the migration 
had already begun. Hastily dressing myself, I at once made 
for the lighthouse. The night was almost pitch dark, but the 
town was all astir. In every street men with large lanterns 
and a sort of angler's landing-net were making for the light- 
