IqS The Irish Naturalist. October, 



at the lantern except Flycatchers, the weather conditions 

 being not by any means favourable for alluring migrants to 

 sway under the dazzle of the luminous beams. Here, again, 

 it is noteworthy that many Flycatchers were seen, not only 

 on this night but on two nights before, and on two con- 

 secutive nights after. On the night of August 15th, at 11.20 

 p.m., I almost had my hands on a Flycatcher as it rested on 

 the balcony. Emigrating with it were Wheatears and 

 Robins ; two of the latter species were collected. 



On August i8th, another clear, starlit night, a Spotted 

 Flycatcher struck the lantern at 12.35 a-ni., just at the 

 moment when I came in through the balcony door to the 

 inside of the lantern to swallow a mug of cocoa. I hastened 

 out, and just as I had my hands on the half -stunned bird it 

 rose off the balcony and disappeared. I saw a few others 

 in the rays. On August 19th, a night which after 11 p.m. 

 grew misty with falling rain and an inky black sky. Fly- 

 catchers appeared in the rays, one ncarl}^ striking at i.io 

 a.m. Many vSwifts and Wheatears were also on the move, 

 and some of the latter were collected. 



Here, then, almost on consecutive dates, from August 

 15th {i.e., excepting one night, viz., the i6th inst.), to the 

 19th inclusive, we find Flycatchers migrating, illustrating 

 a decided and active emigration of many birds ; this move- 

 ment was likely participated in along other points of the 

 coast at the same time. The last date in August on which 

 I saw Flycatchers round the lantern was on the night of the 

 23rd instant. The sky was well overcast, there was plenty 

 of mist, the rays were very brilliant, but the night was only 

 moderately dark, as the moon, in her second quarter, was 

 closely approaching fulness. Willow Warblers, Wheatears, 

 Swifts, and a large bird I took to be a Rail, careered wildly 

 about in the rays, and though no birds came actually in 

 contact with the glass, it was not difficult to recognise 

 Flj^catchers by their quick glancing flight and long wings, 

 their aerial movements often being similar to what one sees 

 when this bird is twisting and swerving sharply in pursuit 

 of its insect prey. After a little practice Flycatchers are 

 not ver}^ difficult to identify when fairly close to the lantern ; 

 now and again their single highly -pitched note is emitted. 



