416 Mcajor W. E. Thompson on the [Ibis, 



most important of this group of islands, and prior to the con- 

 struction of the Aldernej Lighthouse Avas, by all accounts, 

 of even greater interest. The Alderney Lighthouse, first 

 opened in 1912, lies at the eastern end of the island, and its 

 value to the seafaring community at large is exemplified by 

 the almost total cessation, since its construction, of the very 

 numerous shipwrecks which formerly took place here, but 

 since "one man's meat is another man's poison," it may be 

 remarked that the islanders are the poorer for being deprived 

 of that part of their livelihood which was closely connected 

 with the afore-mentioned wrecks — at least so tradition 

 has it. 



And as an ornithologist I can to some extent sympathise 

 with them, inasmuch as, whatever be the exact explanation, 

 it appears certain that, since the Alderney Light came into 

 use, the stream of migration has been somehow diverted and 

 does not now pass so closely to the island as formerly, with 

 the result that far fewer birds of passage are observed. 



Many theories have been advanced to account for this 

 change, but so many new lights have been constructed along 

 the coasts of France and England, that it may be due to one 

 or a combination of these, or even to a cause quite uncon- 

 nected with any of them, but one interesting theory I have 

 heard, and which may have something in it, is as follows. 

 Before the Alderney Light was constructed, the only light 

 in the immediate neighbourhood was that of the Casquets, 

 and, since Alderney lies in a direct line between the nearest 

 point on the French coast and the Casquets Light, it has 

 been thought that the flights, on leaving the Continent, were 

 attracted by the nearest light and, passing immediately over 

 Alderney, many individuals were induced to land and rest 

 there, and vice versa on their return journey. They are now 

 attracted by the Alderney Light on the extreme eastern end 

 of the island, and thus, for the most part, miss the land 

 altogether. 



Alderney itself is a very small island some 3^ square 

 miles in area. Its greatest length from east to west is 

 3^ miles, and its average width about one mile. Its southern 



