BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 



53 



CHAPTER VIII. 

 LIGHTHOUSE RECORDS. 



"The sea-bird wheeling round it, with the din 

 Of wings and winds and solitary cries, 

 Blinded and maddened by the light within, 

 Dashes himself against the glare, and dies." 



Longfellow, " The Lighthouse." 



If a complete and accurate record could be kept at the lighthouses of the 

 birds that are killed by dashing against the lanterns, we should be possessed of 

 very valuable data on the subject of migration. I have corresponded with the 

 keepers of all the lighthouses on the Essex County coast and have visited sev- 

 eral of the light-stations. I have also received for identification some of the 

 birds that have been killed by striking the lights. 



In 1880, an account was published by Dr. J. A. Allen 1 of the Destruction 

 of Birds by Light-Houses, made up of letters received by Mr. Ruthven Deane. 

 In this account reference is made to two Essex County lights. Of Cape Ann 

 Lights on Thatcher's Island, the report, under date of March 6th, 1877, is: 

 " Very few birds are killed by flying against the light except in May and June, 

 when a ' Swamp Sparrow ' comes about the light, and is sometimes killed. ' Have 

 known six to be killed in one night.' Occasionally a sea bird is killed, — not 

 more than three or four in a year." Of Marblehead Light, April 1st, 1877, the 

 following: "Very few birds strike the light. At onetime 3 small ones were 

 found dead outside the light. They are never around except in foggy nights. 

 No damage has been done by birds striking for the last five years." In Dr. 

 Allen's paper several lighthouse keepers state that the number of birds killed is 

 much less than formerly. Thus of Wood Island Light, Saco Harbor, it is stated 

 that "of late years very few birds have flown against the light." Of Highland 

 Light, at North Truro, the following : " The large sea birds, as Ducks, Coots, 

 etc., do not now come near the light, as they used to." At Cape May Light : 

 " Sometimes the light is struck during heavy storms by Black Ducks and vari- 

 ous kinds of sea-fowl, but not nearly so often as formerly." These obser- 

 vations, if accurate, — men are apt to magnify the happenings of former days, 



1 J. A. Allen: Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, vol. 5, p. 131, t88o. 



