490 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



exception to this statement is in the case of certain waterfowl, the 

 length of whose stay in the fall is largely dependent upon the preva- 

 lence of open water. The trend of the migration at this point is not 

 exactly clear, and whether birds follow the shore of the lake until they 

 come to a convenient crossing-place at its extremity, or boldly adven- 

 ture themselves in direct flight across its expanse, is not with certainty 

 known. There are, however, indications that the latter route is some- 

 times followed, not only by some of the water birds, to many of which 

 a flight over water is devoid of risk, but by certain of the smaller land 

 birds as well. Flocks of some species have repeatedly been seen, sup- 

 posedly in direct migration, flying out to the open lake or coming from 

 that direction. As Long Point is the nearest land on the Ontario side, 

 and is directly opposite Presque Isle, the inference that this was the 

 starting-point or destination of such flights seems not unreasonable. 

 On several occasions small land birds were picked up dead on the lake 

 shore, leading to the inference that they had attempted the direct flight 

 and had failed. Another circumstance worthy of mention in this con- 

 nection is the greater abundance of the smaller land birds in spring 

 migration at the eastern end of the Peninsula. It is as if they congre- 

 gated here in their passage along the coast before their flight across the 

 lake. It is noticeable, too, that in the fall the shore-birds are met with 

 first on the most northerly part of the outside beach, which they would 

 naturally strike first in coming directly across the lake, thence crossing 

 at the piers to the sand-beach on the mainland shore, or flying to the 

 ponds and other points on the Peninsula. The keeper of Presque Isle 

 Light says that birds do not strike the lantern there, save on very thick 

 and foggy nights, and that the number so killed in the course of a season 

 is inconsiderable. 



In the nature of the case the locality under consideration is perhaps 

 the most favorable in the entire State of Pennsylvania for the study of 

 water birds. Quite a number of such occur here which have not been 

 detected in the interior counties, while among the land birds not a 

 few are far more abundant and characteristic. Were it not for the 

 proximity of such a large city, Prescjue Isle would doubtless be an ideal 

 spot for birds of almost all kinds, and many species the appearance of 

 which is at present rare and irregular would be much more numerous. 

 The persecution to which the birds of this locality are constantly sub- 

 jected by the hordes of gunners from Erie has resulted in a great 

 reduction in their numbers as compared with former years, and not a 



