140 The Irish 'Naturalist. August, 



that the bird when discovered was crouching silently and 

 lov/ at the bottom of a V-shaped recess formed by the 

 meeting of two of the sashes of one of the many lozenge - 

 shaped window-panes of which the lantern is composed. 

 This night was dark, overcast, and misty, the wind was 

 high, and the bird was seeking shelter on the leeward side ; 

 had it alighted on the windward side it could not have 

 procured the refuge. This night I saw many birds (which 

 in all likelihood were Grasshopper-Warblers) vainly at- 

 tempt to reach the glass, but ere they could do so they were 

 carried off by the wind. Those that struck and fell on the 

 leeward side of the balcony and were secured before being 

 blown away, turned out to be Sedge -Warblers, Willow- 

 Warblers, and Wheatears, but all night long as I walked 

 round the balcony I did not see a Grasshopper-Warbler 

 come in with sufficient speed to " strike," unless when 

 incidentally blown against the glass by the wind. 

 Examples of all species present in the rays met with this 

 disaster, and, as the birds were hurled against the glass, 

 clouds of breast or back feathers flew out, shewing that the 

 victims were entirely at the mercy of the wind, and were not 

 striking head on as they are wont to do on calm nights. 

 A windy night increases the difficulties which are always 

 present in regard to the identification of birds in the rays. 

 On calm nights, however, their characteristic behaviour as 

 they come well up towards the glass can usually be made out, 

 but this is so interfered with by the presence of a strong wind 

 that even when close at hand many species defy identifi- 

 cation. Blackcaps were evidently on the move this night, 

 for we found one dead on the rock at dawn next morning. * 

 The third Grasshopper-Warbler was obtained the next 

 night, or to be absolutely accurate as regards dates, on the 

 early morning of April 22nd. The night was very dark, 

 the sky overcast and much rain fell. About i a.m., April 

 22nd, a dense fog arose and the fog-explosive was set in 

 action. Whitethroats, Sedge -Warblers, Grasshopper-Warb- 

 lers, Willow- Warblers, Chiff chaffs, Wheatears, Swallows, 



I This bird and others picked up at dawn were found on the N, and 

 N.W. side of the rock, having been carried in their fall in that direction 

 by the strong S.S.E. wind. 



