°' g ■ I Australasian Oniii/iohgists' Union. \OJ 



" Reports from lighthouses have been regularly received, and 

 valuable information is being collated therefrom, as will be seen 

 by the next report.". 



Lighthouse Reports of Birds Striking the Lantern. 



In the absence of Mr. D. Le Souef, Mr. J. W. Mellor read this 

 report, which is as follows : — 



" The following is an epitome of the reports from the light- 

 house-keepers for the last two quarters in 1904 and the first 

 in 1905, and although most of the birds mentioned are sea 

 birds, there are a few land birds, and it is the latter, 

 of course, that are needed. The most interesting information 

 so far is that from the islands in Bass Strait, especially 

 Cape VVickham, and more is gradually being learnt about 

 the movements of the birds between Australia and Tas- 

 mania, although it will be a few years before we can expect to 

 gain much information, as iew of the smaller birds strike hard 

 enough to be killed, and consequently they are not always 

 secured and identified ; possibly, as the lighthouse-keepers 

 become more interested in the work, so will we gain in in- 

 formation. 



" Most reports have naturally come from New Zealand, 

 with its long coast line, and Mr. T. J. Cox, the principal 

 keeper of the Cape Saunders Lighthouse, reports that when this 

 lighthouse was erected 30 years ago the birds used to strike it 

 nearly every night, but now only do so in thick or foggy 

 weather. In the last quarter in 1904 two Terns struck in misty 

 weather, but got away ; two New Zealand Pipits, also in foggy 

 weather, when one was killed ; also two Banks Petrels, two 

 White-faced Storm-Petrels, and one European Starling ; only 

 the latter was killed. During the first quarter of this year 

 several birds struck, mostly sea birds, but only two were killed 

 and secured — namely, a New Zealand Pipit and a Black- 

 bellied Storm-Petrel. 



" At Cape Palliser Mr. R. MTver states that in the last quarter 

 in 1904 only two kinds of birds were secured — the Grey-backed 

 Storm-Petrel and the Starling. He says that very iQ\w sea birds 

 fly against the lantern ; those that do strike are mostly small 

 land birds. The two Starlings came down the cowl of the 

 lantern after the lights were put out in the early morning. In 

 January, 1905, only one bird was seen to strike — namely, a 

 European Goldfinch — but it was not killed. 



" Mr. J. Anderson reports that sea birds rarely strike the lantern 

 at Dog Island, but that land birds, such as European Skylarks, 

 Sparrows, and Starlings, sometimes do on very dark nights, but 

 that none have struck lately. 



"At Cuvier Island Mr. L. Thompson states that in the third 

 quarter of 1904 15 Petrels struck, but only three were killed, 



