170 MIGRATION AND DISTRIBUTION 



and he gave unfailing assistance and advice to Mr. Eagle 

 Clarke, who isolated himself in those remote places during 

 his vacations for several years, with most valuable results. 

 One of the first journeys Mr. Eagle Clarke took on 

 this account was to the lighthouse at Ushant in 1898 ; 

 Newton gave him considerable assistance in getting the 

 necessary permission, but the trip came to an untimely 

 end : 



Clarke, who went with a Government grant and the 

 sanction of the French authorities to Ushant to make 

 observations on bird migration, found himself the object 

 of suspicion and so dogged by a gendarme, sent specially 

 from Paris to look after him, that he gave it up, on the 

 advice of H.M. Consul at Brest in order 'to avoid 

 serious consequences ' : as a bad job and came away re 

 infecta. The military prison of Chcrche Midi in Paris 

 seems to be the proper place for a spy who passed off as 

 an observer of autumnal migration. I wonder if the 

 French authorities thought of that ? 



But the visit was not altogether a failure, and some 

 very interesting flights of migrants were seen. 



It is very good to find that after all your visit to 

 Ushant has produced something, and I congratulate 

 you on the excellent reports you have received. I 

 only hope they will not bring the reporters into collision 

 with the authorities, or your friends may find themselves 

 condemned as traitors to the Isle du Diable ! How they 

 must have enjoyed the ' petits oiseaux ' that killed 

 themselves, for there is nothing by way of ' gibier ' 

 that Frenchmen more delight in ! 



Without turning to Gatke I forget what is the 

 greatest number known to have been killed at Heligo- 

 land ; but 1500 in one night seems to be a very big bag. 



I heard the other day of a saying either from York- 

 shire or Lincolnshire which pleased me much. A man 

 said that there was such an arrival of Golden-crested 



