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migration as the island of Heligoland, which is little more than 

 a bare rock of some 200 acres in extent, and rises about 150 feet 

 above the sea. The sides are perpendicular, and the fiat surface is 

 treeless ; it is situated about 20 miles off the German coast. About 

 one mile away is Sandy Isle, composed of sandhills and beach at 

 low water, then exposing about 50 acres, which at high water is 

 reduced to about half. This, combined with Heligoland, is the 

 resting-place of myriads of migratory birds, in fact, more species 

 have been recorded from this place than from any other in the 

 whole world. To the celebrated and venerable Herr Gatke ornitho- 

 logists owe much for the enormous amount of information he 

 amassed during a period of over 50 years' observation on the bird 

 life of Heligoland. The following few brief notes from his diary 

 will convey some idea of the number of migrants tbat pass across 

 the island : — 



October, 1870 : Thousands of Great Tits. February, 1876 : 

 Tens of thousands of Skylarks. January, 1878 : Countless 

 numbers of Fieldfares. December, 1879 : Millions of Red-throated 

 Divers. September, 1880: Thousands of Siskins. November, 

 1880 : Thousands of Shore-larks. September, 1881 : Immense 

 flights of common Buzzards. October, 1881 : Thousands of Snow- 

 buntings. October, 1882 : Countless numbers of Hedge Sparrows, 

 thousands of Jays, myriads of Goldcrests. September, 1883 : 

 Enormous numbers of Redstarts. On November 8th, 1868, the 

 islanders caught 15,000 Skylarks. Herr Giitke also records : From 

 10 o'clock on the night of October 28th, 1882, to the next morning, 

 Goldcrests eddied thick as flakes in a heavy snow-fall round the 

 lighthouse, and on the follov/ing day they literally swarmed on 

 every square foot of the island, and in October of the following 

 5'ear myriads of Skylarks thronged in the brilliant beams of light 

 for four nights in succession, accompanied by Starlings in almost 

 equal numbers. It has long been known that many birds migrate 

 at night, but not on clear, bright nights as might be supposed ; 

 they select for the purpose dark misty nights, especially those when 

 fine rain is falling. It is during such conditions of weather that 

 multitudes of birds swarm round lighthouses and pass on to their 

 destinations. 



