ACCIDENTS TO BIRDS. 103 



The keepers informed us that sometimes four dozen 

 birds are found in a single morning, either Mlled or 

 helpless, outside the lantern. They mentioned black- 

 birds as habitually flying against the panes, and flut- 

 tering down until they are caught in the gallery. 

 Snipes dash against the glass with such force as to 

 cut open their breasts ; a result, no doubt, promoted 

 by the sharp and knife-like ridge of the breast-bone. 

 Probably many of these accidents are attributable to 

 the early habits of birds, wakeful and active before 

 the glare of the artificial light has been dimmed by 

 the advancing day; but, doubtless, many occur to 

 migratory birds, performing their long aerial voyage ; 

 as birds of passage are generally believed to perform 

 their journey under cover of night. 



I did not hear that these involuntary attacks had 

 ever the effect of injuring the plate-glass against 

 which they are directed ; but at the Eddystone Light- 

 house it is recorded, that one of the panes was shivered 

 to pieces by the forcible flight of a gull, to which it 

 was no less fatal. The bird was found dead in the 

 gallery, a pointed fragment of the glass, two inches in 

 length, having penetrated its throat. The force of 

 the shock was less a matter of surprise, when it was 

 discovered to be that large and powerful species, the 

 herring-gull. 



So great is the power of the lenses, that, when the 

 sun is shining, the keepers are compelled to exercise 

 caution in entering the lantern for the purpose of 

 cleaning the lamps. The concentrated rays would 



