106 THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS 



seriously injured, falling helplessly into the sea." 

 On the following night when many fieldfares, red- 

 wings, thrushes and other birds were passing, he 

 says " Sometimes we use the terms hundreds and 

 thousands without thinking what these figures mean 

 but on this occasion when I say thousands were 

 killed I do not exaggerate in the slightest/' 



Mr W. Brewster's account of his experiences 

 at the Point Lepreaux lighthouse (8), shows that 

 similar disasters occur in Canada and the States, 

 as indeed they do wherever there are passages of 

 birds. On a foggy evening in September 1885 

 ' as soon as the sky became overcast small birds 

 began to come about the light with the advent 

 of the fog they multiplied tenfold in the course of 

 a few minutes ' and many struck. ' About the 

 top of the tower, a belt of light projected some 

 thirty yards into the mist by the powerful reflectors ; 

 and in this belt swarms of birds, circling, floating, 

 soaring, now advancing, next retreating, but never 

 quite able, as it seemed, to throw off the spell of the 

 fatal lantern. . . . Dozens were continually leaving 

 the throng ' of birds which had flown to leeward, 

 ' and skimming towards the lantern. As they 

 approached they usually soared upward, and those 

 which started on a level with the platform usually 

 passed above the roof. . . . Often for a minute or 

 more not a bird would strike. Then, as if seized 



