BIRDS AT A LIGHT-VESSEL 171 



Wrens on the shore, that the bushes were " lousy " with 

 them.* 



In the autumn of 1903 Mr. Eagle Clarke spent thirty- 

 one days on board the Kentish Knock light-vessel, and 

 during the last two days he was there he saw one of the 

 largest movements of birds that any ornithologist had 

 ever witnessed : — 



From Saturday at II a.m. until Sunday at 4 p.m. 

 Starlings and Larks in extraordinary numbers passed 

 from E. to W. without a hreaJc, i.e. a day and night. . . . 

 No one who has not witnessed these E. to W. flights 

 can form any idea of the countless numbers of those 

 and other species crossing the North Sea at this season. 

 On Saturday afternoon the first Jackdaws and Rooks 

 appeared in small numbers. On Saturday at 6.30 p.m. 

 and down to 5 a.m. on Sunday we had crowds of birds 

 at the lantern — Starlings, Larks, Meadowpipits, Chaf- 

 finches, Goldcrests, Mistlethrushes, Song Thrushes, and 

 a few Rooks and Jackdaws (the two latter species being 

 captured at the lantern). It was pitiable to see the 

 numbers that rained overboard. They could only be 

 estimated at thousands. Very few fell on deck owing 

 to the wind which prevailed at the time, and which 

 carried the victims beyond our reach. The species 

 mentioned were captured by means of a hand net by 

 a seaman stationed on the top of the lantern, who 

 netted them like so many moths as they approached the 

 lantern. In this way we took species varying from the 

 tiny Goldcrest to the clumsy Rook ! f 



In acknowledging this letter Newton wrote : — 



It is very gratifying to know that you are pleased 

 with the whole thing, and certainly the experiences of 

 your last day or two will be something to remember for 

 ever. It is indeed a striking instance of the enormous 

 sacrifice of individual life made by Nature, I suppose for 



* Letter to W. Eagle Clarke, November 20, 1898. 

 t Letter from W. Eagle Clarke, October 21, 1903. 



