I2 3 



Hawks and Owls are sometimes captured on 

 board, but they are mostly observed before dawn 

 perched on some part of the rigging near the lamps. 



On one occasion the glass of the lights of the 

 Newarp was found broken, and a Duck of some 

 kind that the crew were unacquainted with was 

 discovered inside the lantern. 



Grey Geese, Mallard and various sorts of wild 

 fowl used now and then to be obtained, but from 

 all I could hear, the numbers of these birds have 

 diminished greatly of late years. 



Snipe were stated to be among the commonest 

 captures, but during the whole of the winter I only 

 received a single specimen of this species. Wood- 

 cocks are supposed by the light-keepers to be 

 particularly swift-flying birds, as they are generally 

 picked up on deck much cut and injured by striking 

 against the lamps or rigging. The real cause of 

 such mishaps must I should imagine be attributed 

 to the weighty condition of the bird at the time of 

 the accident. I found that the Knot was well 

 known as being of frequent occurrence. They 

 were described as flying in large bodies and numbers 

 falling at once on deck. One of the men declared 

 that the last flocks of these waders that he had 

 observed had suddenly shied when close to the 

 lantern and that but one or two had been taken. 



It is stated that many years ago over one 

 thousand birds were one morning collected on board 

 the Newarp. Whether this was really the case or 

 not I do not pretend to say,* but all my informants 



* I afterwards learned from an old man, who 

 declared he was on board at the time, that the 

 above statement was perfectly true. He also added 

 that 600 of the birds which were principally Larks 

 were put into one gigantic pie. I have a slight 

 recollection of seeing an account of this fact in 

 some paper, which published the history of the 

 light-ships of the eastern coast. 



