44 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



by a southerly deviation. Thus the Bluethroats, Redbreasts, 

 small Warblers (Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff), Redstarts, Chats, 

 and others, return in spring in numbers as large as those in which 

 they departed in autumn. In fact, one would hardly believe that 

 many a one must of necessity have succumbed to the dangers of a 

 long winter absence. On the 26th of May 1880, for instance, all the 

 gardens of the island teemed with the Northern Bluethroat to such 

 an extent that their numbers in the nearest gardens were adjudged 

 by myself and my collectors at considerably above five hundred. 

 Stonechats occurred in such quantities that Aeuckens estimated 

 them at ' milliards,' while in my diary they are noted at the more 

 modest but still respectable figure of 'many thousands.' I may 

 remark in passing that, in the case of both species, old males were 

 found in quite solitary instances only, which seems to show that the 

 migration of the two species was approaching its close. 



We have stated in the course of this chapter that the birds 

 perform the journey from their winter quarters to the breeding 

 stations, if possible, in one uninterrupted flight. This view is 

 supported in a high degree by observations made here incidentally 

 during the capture of birds at night at the lighthouse. It is a fact 

 well known to every fowler here, that, in the spring, the feathered 

 wanderers do not begin to make their appearance until after mid- 

 night, from about one to two in the morning ; that their numbers, 

 moreover, do not only increase with the approach of day, but that 

 fresh birds continue to arrive for a long time even after sunrise. 

 Snipe and Blackbirds, in fact, continue to arrive in large numbers 

 during the whole of the morning, especially if there has been a 

 sharp hoar-frost before daybreak, and the morning is calm, warm, 

 and sunshiny. 



Matters proceed quite in the opposite manner in autumn. The 

 birds then arrive here as soon as it gets dark from seven to eight in 

 the evening. Their numbers do not increase as the night advances, 

 but diminish with the approach of daylight. With the exception 

 of the Hooded Crows and Finches which only migrate during the 

 day, and are joined during the morning by Starlings, who migrate 

 both by night as well as day the migration may be said to be 

 virtually at an end by the time the sun has fully risen ; so that the 

 snipe-catcher for instance, in autumn, if the catch has not been a 

 very good one at dawn, will take in his nets as early as seven 

 o'clock in the morning, whereas in spring he will, under similar 

 conditions, leave them out till noon and even later, with good 

 results. 



Inasmuch, then, as experience teaches us that of all the 

 nocturnal migrants which come under consideration here, some 



