In December 1896 Mr H. H. Clayton, at Blue Hill Observatory, saw ducks flying at a height of 958 feet. He was at the time engaged in measuring the height and velocity of clouds, and was able to estimate the speed of the birds at nearly 48 miles per hour. In March geese passed at over 900 feet at 44.3 miles per hour. In 1905 Prof. Stebbins and Mr Carpenter worked out a scheme for ascertaining heights by simultaneous observation from different points. They based their calculations only on birds which were observed by them both, and found that these passed at various altitudes, ranging from 1200 to 2300 feet; in the following October the lowest altitude observed was 1400 feet, and the highest 5400. Allowing the 25 per cent possible error, these results are of great value. Mr Chapman's remarks about the upward flight of some of the birds are enlightening, for when birds start on oversea journeys they frequently ascend to a great height. Dr Allen and others think that the ascent is to increase the visible distance, but it may also be to reach a zone or stratum of atmosphere in which flight may be more easily accomplished. Robert Service's account of the departure of migrants from the Solway shores, gives suggestion of high flight. They arrive often one by one and "seem to drop literally from the clouds," but when they actually departed it was easy to see their method. They "fly upwards and onwards, then they hesitate, fly sideways once or twice, again attempt an upward and onward flight, hesitate again, and down they come once more to earth." After repeating this manoeuvre several times, "away they go over the sea." One morning he counted sixty blackbirds in one hedge, and others kept arriving, but, however closely he watched, he failed to see whence they came. "They came down from the upper air, becoming suddenly visible, sometimes three at a time." "I saw about a dozen birds thus drop into view, but I quite failed to see any indication of the point of the compass from whence they had come" (46). Gätke frequently mentions birds raining down from the sky, appearing first as mere specks, and dropping vertically to the island, and others when departing "with breasts directed upwards and rapid powerful strokes of the wings, fly almost perpendicularly upwards." On May 24th, 1911, I watched the departure of a spoonbill from Easton Broad on the Suffolk coast. The bird rose and soared in ever-widening circles until it was a mere speck, even when seen through powerful prismatic glasses; the great stretch of its wings alone enabled me to watch it for so long. When at a great height--I will not guess what elevation--it ceased its circling flight and made straight for the north. In October I saw several flocks of redwings leave the Spurn. They rose to a great height before directing their flight southwards, although the Lincolnshire coast was plainly visible.