Proceedings. xlv 



but had not seen a bird, and he returned home to a friend's 

 hotise, who was an old resident and well versed in bird-lore, and 

 told him how disappointed he was that no birds had arrived. 

 But his friend said, ' If I were yon I should go to bed early, for 

 to-morrow the island will be full of birds.' He asked, 'How do 

 you know that ? ' His friend replied, ' Because the wind has 

 changed. There is now a perfectly favourable wind, and there 

 must be birds within twelve hours, or possibly within six.' He 

 went to bed early, according to his friend's instruction, leaving 

 word with his landlady if any migration of birds was to be seen 

 that he was to be called. About midnight he was awoke and 

 told that the island was full of birds, and that everybody was out 

 trying to catch them. He went out and foimd it a pitchy dark 

 night, without moon or stars to be seen. The whole of the 

 inhabitants of Heligoland had turned out with lanterns attached 

 to their waists and with nets, something like ordinary fishermen's 

 nets, and were wandering over the potato-fields and over the 

 grass, continually po})ping their nets upon the birds, which flew 

 up at their feet, doubtless attracted by the light, but frightened 

 by their tread. He made his way direct to the lighthouse, which 

 was a favourite place, and as he went across the potato-fields 

 almost at every step birds were getting up at his feet. On 

 reaching the lighthouse he saw one of the most remarkable 

 sights that it had ever been his good fortune to witness. The 

 top of the lighthouse, as far as could be seen from the reflecting 

 rays of the light, was one dense mass of birds. In fact the top 

 of the lighthouse was a drifting sea of birds. He went up to the 

 top, and there he found enormous clouds of birds were passing 

 over the lighthouse, almost all of them being sky larks, 

 but occasionally he heard the sound of other birds amongst 

 them. Perhaps out of the thousands one here and there would 

 be attracted by the light of the lighthouse, and would descend 

 from the flock to see what was the matter. Most of them passed 

 on again, but now and then one of them, which was perhaps 

 rather tired, would rest upon the wire netting outside of the 

 light, and in that way he and those with him were able to put 

 their hands upon them and catch them ; and in the course of 

 some two hours and a half they caught about 240 birds. The 

 birds were evidently crosshig over from Denmark to England, 

 and would alight, according to the wind, either on the coasts of 

 Norfolk or Yorkshire, and would then scatter along the coast, 

 gradually sending out little detachments, until by the time 

 Cornwall was reached the whole flock would be dispersed. The 

 height at which the birds fly varies very much. Sometimes at 

 Heligoland, from early morning till late at night, one long 

 straggling line of hooded crows would be seen flying so close to 

 the sea that they had to rise to cross the island. At other times 



