7 
nights across and past the island in one endless stream, defies ever 
an approximate computation. Fields and gardens simply teem 
with meadew pipits and chaffinches, so that at each step, in what- 
ever direction, one rouses clouds of them. Golden crested wrens, 
too, frequently simply flood the island in countless numbers. 
Chiffvbafis, redbreasts, whitethroats, hedge s} arrows, rock pipits,. 
shorelarks, bramblings, twites, and titmice, make their appearance 
in greater or smaller flights, according to the state of the weather, 
The nocturnal migration flights which proceed on such a stupen- 
dous scale reach their grandest development during the latter part 
of the-month. The silence of the early part of the night is first 
broken by the solitary note of the song thrush, and perhaps here: 
and there the clear call note of the lark. Then, again, silence 
reigns for a minute or two, only to be once more broken by the far 
sounding ery of. the blackbird, soon followed by that of a swiftly | 
passing flock of sandpipers. The calls of the skylark rapidly 
increase in number, smaller and larger flocks of birds being heard 
approaching, and disappearing near and far. The hoarse cry of 
the snipe is accompanied by that of the golden plover and of the 
grey plover, the wild scream of the curlew, the cries of the field- 
fare, and of the-redwing. Next by the sound of hundreds of 
rapidly-ejeculated cries we recognize a long extending crowd of 
knots, hastily pursuing its journey accompanied by an incessant. 
din of countless piping, rattling, and quaking voices, unknown to 
gunner or fowler, and often reminding one of the strain of a. 
ereaking cart wheel, many evidently proceeding from the heron 
and its relatives. The whole sky is now filled with a babel of 
hundreds of thousands of voices, and as we approach the light- 
house, there presents itself to the eye a scene which more. than 
confirms the experience-of the ear. Under the intense glare of 
the light, swarms of larks, starlings, and:thrushes career around in . 
ever varying density, like showers of. brilliant sparks, or huge 
‘snowflakes driven onwards by a gale, and continuously replaced; as. 
they disappear, by freshly-arriving multitudes. Mingled with 
these birds, are large numbers of golden plovers, lapwings, curlews, 
and sandpipers.. Now and again, too, a woodcock is seen, or att 
‘owl, with-slow béatings of the wings, emerges from the darkness. 
iuto the cirelé of light, but, again, speedily vanishes, accompanied 
by the plaintive cry of an unhappy thrush, that has become-its. 
prey. Such a migration stream lasts through a long autumnal 
night, and may be repeated for several nights in succession.’ In 
discussing the direction-of migration flight Herr Gatke says, ‘‘The 
view, much discussed-in recent years, that migrants follow - the. 
direction. of ocean: coasts; the drainage area of rivers, or depressions 
of valleys, as fixed routes of migration, can hardly be maintained. 
