582 
Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 
climates in autumn: birds such as the Swifts, Masked 
Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, and the Swallows. But I have 
no doubt that by no means do all of these summer visitors 
which arrive in the island remain to breed, many passing on 
and joining the ranks of the spring and autumn migrants. 
Perhaps forty species are what one may term winter 
visitors : birds such as the Blackbird, Robin, Wigeon and 
some other Ducks, the Starling, and the Rook; they arrive 
in the autumn, remain during the winter, and leave in spring 
for the north. Here, again, many individuals are birds of 
passage only. 
By far the largest class is the spring and autumn birds 
of passage, which arrive in spring, stay a few days or weeks, 
pass on to their more northern or more suitable breeding- 
grounds, and return in the autumn; again wait a little, 
though not so long, and are off to warmer places. Of course, 
as might be expected, there are many cases in whicli 
individuals belonging to this category do not follow the 
movements of the bulk of their fellows, but remain in the 
island either to nest or for the winter. For example, the 
Blackcap does both ; it certainly nests and as certainly 
remains during the winter, but the numbers which do so 
are infinitesimal compared with the huge throngs which 
occur in spring and autumn. The Cranes, in flocks of 
hundreds, pass over the island, regular almost to a day, 
in spring and autumn ; hardly any even alight, but a few are 
to be found in the marshes throughout the winter. Such 
instances might be multiplied almost indefinitely. 
Regarded as a point in a migratory line Cyprus is perhaps 
too near to the mainland to offer a compulsory route; so 
close is it, indeed, and so much is its climate dominated by 
that of the neighbouring coasts, that a heavy spell of cold 
weather on the Taurus will produce a rush of Woodcock, 
Snipe, and Duck at almost any time. 
Although, therefore, the adjoining coast of the Levant 
probably prevents Cyprus from being a very remarkable 
halting place, it is nevertheless at the migration seasons a 
fairly busy spot which a considerable number of migrants 
