Aug. 18—Ever since August 8, which in the Chinese calendar (obviously based on conditions in the Northern Provinces) is stated to be the "beginning of Autumn", the tide of bird migration has commenced to ebb and the first of the wanderers are passing through on their southward flight. It always appears to me that travellers from the furthest north come through first—as if to make allowance for accidents during the long journey—and so the first-comers are Snipe, Pin-tails and Swinhoe's, from Siberia and Mongolia, with such tiny birds as Arctic Warblers from equally distant parts. Our Shantung summer visitors seem loath to leave and often stay here long after birds from much further north have passed through: the restless Cuckoo has gone, but Swifts, Swallows and Buntings still remain, Of these migrants which stay to breed here it is interesting to note how those which flock together at the end of the season begin their preliminary gatherings quite early in August: this habit is so noticeable that I have begun to formulate a new theory as to at least one of the "urges" for the Southward migration. As hungry birds of prey come wandering through, the families of small birds naturally gather together for protection, and hence I find scores of Swallows lining up on telegraph wires and house-tops: every day new families of young, now able to feed themselves, join the different bands until (one may reasonably suppose) the food supply in their particular area is not suffi cient to support them. If this is true, what could be more natural than the concerted departure of the whole band in the direction which, instinct and the prevailing winds tell them, will lead to greater warmth and an increased food supply? But, as regards the inclination of summer visitors to linger my sympathies are all with them,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.