THE PERILS OF MIGRATION. 



175 



or headlands, probably because the former are the 

 onhj visible objects on which to rest or approach, no 

 land being near them : fixed white lights are also 

 more deadly than the revolving or coloured lights. 

 It is also interesting to know that fog-horns prevent 

 birds from striking, for it has been observed that 

 whenever one of these warning engines has been 

 erected near a light where birds previously struck 

 iri abundance, the striking has almost ceased. Sea 

 birds rarely strike these hghts, although instances 

 are on record where they have done so. Stormy 

 Petrels having been known to cause light-keepers 

 much annoyance by fluttering against the lantern 

 and ejecting oil on the glass. Many intensely inter- 

 esting scenes may be witnessed from the balcony of 

 a lighthouse or the deck of a light-ship, favourably 

 situated on or near a great highway of migration. 

 Odd birds are continually coming in contact with 

 the lights throughout the migration season ; but 

 now and then they appear in wonderful numbers, 

 just as some great flight of birds has been suddenly 

 deflected from its course by a fog or bank of clouds 

 hiding the moon or stars, and throwing the surface 

 of the earth or sea into such shadow that all know- 

 ledge of locality is temporarily lost. Here is the 

 report of Mr. Litdewood, the keeper of the Galloper 

 Light-vessel, moored fifty miles off the mouth of 

 the Thames, made on the night of October 6th, 

 1882: "Larks, Starlings, Mountain Sparrows 

 [Bramblings], Titmice, Common Wrens, Red- 

 breasts, Chafiinches, and Plover were picked up on 



