Occurrence of Black Redstart at Pentland Skerries, etc. 113 



been observed, and we would bave more records year by- 

 year ; but tben it must be remembered that migration is in 

 great part conducted at night, and it is often only the attrac- 

 tion by light in foggy weather, which by bringing the birds 

 down within our reach of record, lets us know of their pre- 

 sence at all. Were our lighthouse-keepers all equally skilful 

 in detecting the rarity of many of their annual visitors — and 

 naming them — our work would be greatly simplified, and 

 without doubt many records of rare birds would annually be 

 added to our lists. We are glad to be able to say that the 

 interest taken in the subject has not diminished amongst those 

 who from the first have assisted the migration committee 

 but has very greatly increased, whilst there have from time 

 to time been appeals made by the men to have instructions in 

 taxidermy, and books to assist them in the identification of 

 rarities or of birds new to them. I mention this here 

 because it may at a future time be in the power of some 

 of our number to give a lesson, or leave some book or taxi- 

 dermist's manual at a lighthouse. I have supplied books to 

 a few of the important stations, but books are not to be 

 obtained for nothing, and there are sixty-five stations in 

 Scotland alone. The best results have followed at the 

 stations which are provided with books. At Isle of May, Mr 

 Agnew and his sons, as well as the underkeepers, can in a 

 great many cases identify the rarer stragglers. It is my 

 opinion that in this advanced age of education, what has 

 been hitherto left to private enterprise to accomplish ought 

 to be undertaken in a more liberal spirit, and that every 

 lighthouse and lightship on our coasts should be supplied 

 with a work on British birds, with sufficiently accurate por- 

 traits of every bird given. I sent " Mudie's British Birds " 

 (Bohn's edition) to Mr Agnew, but it is not a very satis- 

 factory production. All other works we have are either so 

 expensive, or, where cheap, so imperfect, either as regards 

 the plates or the text or both, that it is quite beyond the 

 reach of any ordinary private income to distribute these with 

 any satisfaction or hope of after results. If the Trinity 

 House, and the Commissioners of l^orthern and of Irish 

 Lights, would undertake the distribution of a good reference 



VOL. VIII. H 



