6 The Irish Naturalist. January, 



seasons of departure, though the summer visitors should be 

 much more numerous when reinforced by their young reared in 

 this country. Most of the birds that visit us in winter only, 

 like the Redwing and Fieldfare, strike the lanterns very rarely 

 in spring. On the other hand, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Sky -larks, 

 and Starlings, though they strike much less numerously in 

 spring than in autumn, still do so in a far greattr proportion 

 than those purely winter visitors do. This supports the idea 

 of a second immigration of the former in early spring. 



Mr. Eagle-Clarke, in his recent report above referred to, speaks 

 of the emigrations of the Song Thrush observed in autumn on 

 the eastern and southern shores of Ireland. He has had the 

 advantage of studying the Migration Reports, 1881-87, from 

 all the British Islands, and has doubtless much additional in- 

 formation besides. It is to be hoped, therefore, that he will de- 

 scribe more particularly the evidence forthese emigratory move- 

 ments, especially as regards Ireland ; for Mr. Barrington has 

 dwelt on the comparative difficulty of obtaining satisfactory 

 proof of such movements from Irish light-stations ; though, no 

 doubt, whether it is observed or not, emigration takes place. 

 The solution of this apparent divergence between our authori- 

 ties will be welcome. 



Why departing birds so seldom strike the lanterns is partly 

 explained by the darkness of the latter on the landward side, 

 so that they fail to attract birds which are leaving the land. 

 Swallows, indeed, and Starlings appear to leave by daylight 

 more than other birds do, as flocks have been seen departing ; 

 while Sedge Warblers, whose habits are partly nocturnal, strike 

 the lights in early autumn much more than other summer 

 visitors. Birds of the latter class must, indeed, be supposed 

 to be on their way out of Ireland when they strike in autumn. 



Among the summer visitors, several have been taken at light 

 stations late in autumn or in winter, notably the Black-cap, 

 and some of them — the Barred Warbler and the Yellow-browed 

 Warbler, are of extremely rare occurrence j 1 while the Pied 

 Wagtail, which is partially a summer visitor to Great Britain, 

 visits Ireland largely in winter. 



1 The Rufous Warbler shot by Mr. F. R. Rohu at the Old Head of 

 Kinsale, iu September, 1876, is a similar case, but as Mr. Rohu was uot 

 (as I stated in mistake), a light-keeper, this occurrence cannot be 

 numbered among the lighthouse records. 



