THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
15
waders and wild-fowl. But time does not permit me to enter into
these details, and it is the more unnecessary as we hope that the
Summary of the Migration Reports of the British Association
Committee, which Mr. W. Eagle Clarke is preparing, will contain
much on these points. I have here extracts from the nine pub-
lished reports giving all the information supplied from our seven
Essex observatories ;25 these I copied chiefly for faunal purposes,
and as Mr. Miller Christy has seen them, I do not suppose their
separate publication will be necessary.
Bird migration, once a disputed fact, now looked upon as an
exceptional phenomenon, is probably universal—the rule and not
the exception. What influences the migratory birds and how they
are so unerringly directed to their destination are problems still
unsolved. Middendorff s suggestion that they were directed by
the magnetic poles does not seem to be borne out by facts.
We put these inexplicable laws to use in our Carrier Pigeons,
and it is said that sight and experience—even inherited but unconsci-
ous experience—is the sense which directs these birds,20 but surely
this is not sufficient explanation. All are acquainted with the
assemblages of Swallows and Martins, now frequently seen in file
on our telegraph wires, twittering with great glee previous to their
departure from our shores, and it is not impossible that a know-
ledge of the habits of that lively and comical chatterer, the friendly
Starling, may give a clue to the influences governing migration.
From August, when this usually "cheeky," bird has moulted and
recovered from its consequent shyness, until love-making com-
mences in February and March, the flights of Starlings at Hey-
bridge is quite one of the sights of Maldon. During the autumn
and winter just before dusk small flocks fly quickly in from all
directions and drop into the grounds of the Towers much after the
manner of falling leaves. Here they "parliament" by chattering
and jabbering incessantly, constantly welcoming fresh arrivals for
25 These are :—
Cork Light-vessel, 5 miles off mouth of Harwich River.
Languard Point Lighthouse, entrance to Harwich River.
Galloper Light-vessel, 40 miles S.E. of Orfordness.
Kentish Knock Light-vessel, 33 miles N.E. of North Foreland.
Swin Middle Light-vessel, off Thames.
Tongue Light-vessel, off Thames.
Nore Light-vessel, entrance to Thames.
In the reports, the Shipwash L.V. is often mentioned as being off the Essex coast. It is on the
N.E. end of the Shipwash Sand, almost exactly due east of the entrance to Orford Haven and
about four nautical miles S.E. from Orfordness ; clearly a Suffolk station. Up to the Seventh
Report it rightly preceded Languard L.H., the sequence being from N. to S.
26 Tegetmeier says there is not the slightest doubt that their return depends purely on percep-
tion and experience.