130 The Scott is Ji Naturalist. 



of our knowledge of the fossil vegetation of the Carboniferous Age y . 

 illustrated by specimens ana 1 diagrams" 



In the Geological section, papers were read by Mr. James Thom- 

 son, " On a Coral Atoll on the shore line at Arbigland, 7iear Dum- 

 fries" and " On a Conglomerate with Boulders in the Laureniian 

 Rocks of South Uist, Scotland." 



The Committee appointed for obtaining records of " Observa- 

 tions on the Migration of Birds at Lighthouses a?id Lightships" 

 presented an interesting report on the year's results from 196 sta- 

 tions along our British coasts, the Faroes, Iceland, Heligoland, and 

 one station in Zealand. From it we extract the following general 

 conclusions : — - 



" As in preceding years, the line of migration has been a broad 

 stream from east to west, or from points south of east to north of 

 west, and covering the whole of the east coast. In 1882 the 

 stations north of the Humber show a marked preponderance of 

 arrivals. Altogether a vast migration took place this year upon 

 our east coast, the heaviest waves breaking upon the mouth of 

 the Humber, Flamborough Head, the Fame Islands, Isle of May 

 at the entrance of the Firth of Forth, and again, after missing a 

 long extent of the Scotch coast, at the Pentland Skerries. The 

 Bell Rock also came in for a share, though apparently a much 

 smaller one than the Isle of May. The easterly winds prevailed 

 all along our east coasts, generally strong to gales, and the suc- 

 cession of south-easterly and easterly gales in October, between 

 the 8th and 23rd, occurring as they did at the usual time of the 

 principal migration, brought vast numbers of land birds to our 

 shores. From the Faroes in the north to the extreme south of 

 England this is found to have been the case. 



" Although migration, that is direct migration on our east coast, 

 is shown to have extended over a long period, commencing in 

 July and continuing, with but slight intermissions, throughout the 

 autumn and into the next year to the end of January, yet the 

 main body of migrants appear to have reached the east coast in 

 October, and of these a large proportion during the first fortnight 

 in the month. F'rom the 6th to the 8th inclusive, and again from 

 the 1 2th to the 15th, there was, night and day, an enormous rush, 

 under circumstances of wind and weather, which observations have 

 shown are most unfavourable to a good passage. During these 

 periods birds arrived in an exhausted condition, and we have rea- 

 sons for concluding, from the many reported as alighting on fish- 

 ing smacks and vessels in the North Sea, that the loss of life must 

 have been very considerable. Large flights also are recorded as 

 having appeared round the lanterns of lighthouses and light- 

 vessels during the night migration. From the 6th to the 9th in- 

 clusive, strong east winds blew over the North Sea, with fog and 

 drizzling rain, and from the night of the 12th to the 17th, very 

 similar weather prevailed. Mr. W. Littlewood, of the Galloper 



