BIRD NOTES 23 



swarm, too, upon the lightships, the lamps of which, 

 looming out brightly upon the dark waters, attract 

 numbers to their vicinity, many bewildered birds 

 striking the lanterns to their own hurt and destruc- 

 tion. Drizzly, murky nights are most fatal to them. 

 On such a night a Dudgeon lightsman used to climb 

 the lantern, and catching the birds as they flew 

 around or struck him, wrung their necks, and filled 

 his pockets with them. He had gathered the weary 

 birds from the decks and rigging by the bucketful ; 

 principally his captures consisted of Larks, mixed 

 with Starlings, Thrushes, and other birds. If let 

 alone, the birds would sleep huddled-up till morning, 

 and then again pursue their journey landwards. 

 Since the lights have been made to revolve fewer 

 birds are noticed. Lark pies used to be a regular 

 institution on board the ships. 



Long after dark the Larks may be heard trooping 

 in, uttering their well-known call-notes in an 

 endeavour to keep the members of the flock 

 together. Their line of flight at night is low; 

 after a heavy night's influx I have, at daybreak, 

 found many birds that have been killed by strik- 

 ing the telegraph wires which cross the Denes. 

 Owls, Plovers, even Ducks have been found thus 



