J. E. LITTLEBOT — THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 39 



throats, and other small siimmor visitants come in from the sea, 

 and we tirst hear of tlioiii at some lighthouse that they have visited 

 in their uic'ht -wauderiniirs." 



There is an infinite variety of incident connected with the 

 method of mie;ration which might well claim our attention, but 

 the necessary limits of a paper forbid me further to amplify. I do 

 not liuow that I can better conclude my remarks than by quoting 

 the graphic sketch given by Mr. H. Seebohm * of his visit to the 

 lighthouse on the island of Heligoland, during a period of autumnal 

 migration. " The whole zone of light within range of the mirrors 

 was alive with birds coming and going — nothing else was visible in 

 the darkness of the night but the lantern of the lighthouse, vig- 

 netted in a drifting sea of birds. From the darkness in the east, 

 clouds of birds were continually emerging in an uninterrupted 

 stream ; a few swerved from their course, fluttered for a moment, 

 as if dazzled by the light, and then gradually vanished with the 

 rest in the western gloom. The scene from the balcony of the 

 lighthouse was equally interesting ; in every direction birds were 

 flying like a swarm of bees, and every few seconds one flew against 

 the glass. All the birds seemed to be flying up-wind, and it was 

 only on the lee-side of the light that any birds were caught. They 

 were nearly all skylarks. In the heap captured was one redstart 

 and one reed-bunting. The air was tilled with the warbling cry 

 of larks ; now and then a thrush was heard, and once a heron 

 screamed as it passed by. I should be afraid to hazard a guess as 

 to the hundreds of thousands that must have passed in a couple of 

 hours." 



* ' Siberia,' pp. 257-8. 



