136 Allen on the Destruction of Birds hy Light-liouses. 



species that were killed or maimed. The keeper was kind enough to save 

 a considerable number of birds for me, but owing to hot weather they 

 spoiled before my arrival A large number of the birds flying be- 

 fore the wind are guided to the light-house by the rays from the lantern, 

 and do not fly against the glass, or at least do not do so with sufficient 

 force to injure themselves. On the contrary, they beat about and flutter 

 against the glass like moths, and finally perch on the railings or descend 

 to the shrubbery. The keeper's plan was for me to station myself, insect 

 net in hand, on the leeward side of the light during one of the dark, foggy 

 storms, and scoop in the small birds. He asserted that I could get a hun- 

 dred or two easily in a good night. In fact, he said he had seen the 

 ground covered with dead birds in the morning following a storm, the 

 boys collecting them and wounded ones by the score. On one occa- 

 sion the keeper caught a number of birds that had suffered only slight 

 injury and kept a half-dozen caged until I arrived. The Hooded and Pro- 

 thonotary Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireo, Indigo-Bird, Savanna Spar- 

 row, etc., were among them. However, the list of birds that suffer from 

 this light would include almost or quite every species that occurs there, 

 excepting possibly the Raptores. The Ducks, and even Pelicans, fly 

 against it, — ^in fact, the glass was once shattered by a Duck flying against 

 it at full speed, as has been the case at many other lights on our coast. 

 The history of birds striking the Rigolets Light is, in fact, repeated, 

 with more or less change, at all the lights on our coast, and indeed on 

 all coasts, during the migrations." 



23. Alcatraz Light, Alcatraz Island, harbor of San Francisco, Cal. 

 Fixed white light ; height, 166 feet. J..T. Huie, keeper. April 4, 1880. 

 — " During the nineteen months I have been at this light no birds of any 

 kind have flown against it." 



24. Fort Point Light, harbor of San Francisco, Cal. Fixed white light ; 

 height, 83 feet. — The reporter for Alcatraz Light states that during the 

 seven years he kept the Fort Point Light no birds came again«t it. 



Birds during their migrations are well known to alight on vessels, some- 

 times in considerable numbers. The following remarkable instance, re- 

 ported in the Boston newspapers of May 17, 187 7, is of special interest in 

 the present connection, and worthy of permanent record : — " The steamer 

 ' Glaucus,' which arrived at this port from New York last night, brought a 

 few more passengers than her manifest warranted, the vessel having been 

 invaded by a large flock of forest birds in her passage through the Sound. 

 On Tuesday night, while steaming along the Long Island coast, the air 



was found to be alive with the feathered songsters Attracted by 



the steamer lights, the birds came crashing against the masts, the shock 

 killing large numbers, and causing them to fall to the deck in showers. 

 Four live birds and 168 dead ones were picked up from the deck; how 

 many fell into the Sound, nobody can tell. Of the live birds, two still 

 remain in possession of the officers ; the others flew to land when off" this 



