

266 



iiKruuT -INS I. 



Jleporl of the. Committee, conslstiui/ of Mr. John Cordeaix (Secrc- 

 iary), Professor Nkwto.n, ]Mr. .1. A. llAi{VJi>])ito\v\, Mr. William 

 Eaglk Clakke, iNIr. 11. M. JJAHiuxciTOX, and Mr. A. (J. .Mom;, 

 a%q)ointed for the purpose of ohln'i ii'diij {tvlth the consent of 

 the Master and Brethren of the Trinity Hovse oiid, the ('om- 

 onissioners of Xovfhern and Irish TAiihtx) oJiservations on the 

 Migration of Birds at Liijhthonse'^ itnd Liijlrtcessels, tiiid of re- 

 porting on the same. 



The General Report' of the Committee, of wliicli tliis is un absti'nct, 

 comprises observations taken at lifi^ht Iiouses iind liglitvessels, as Avell ;is 

 at several land stations, on tlio east coast of Kuglantl, the east and west 

 coasts of Scotliind, tlio coasts of Ireland, also the Channel Islands, Orkney 

 and Shetland Isles, the Hebrides, Faroes, Iceland and Heligoland, and 

 one Baltic station on the coast of Zealand, for which the Committee 

 is again indebted to Professor Liitkcn, of Copenhagen. Altogether ['>H 

 stations have been supplied with schedules and letters of instruction for 

 registering observations, anrl returns have been received froui lU2. 



The best thanks of the Committee are duo to their numerous observers 

 for the generally careful and painstaking manner in which they liave 

 filled up the schedules, and the ver^^ intelligent interest taken by thera 

 in the inquiry. Special thanks must be accorded to ^lessrs. H. Giitke, 

 Heligoland; H. C. ]\Iiiller, Faroe; and M. Thorlaeius, Skykkesholni. 

 Iceland, for the notes sent in from their respective statiuus; also to Mr. 

 J. H. Gurney, i'or hiiving commenceil on the south-east coast of England 

 a similar system of inquiry, which, for a first trial, has worked well. In 

 nil doubtful cases of identity, where birds are killed against the lanterns, 

 a wing is cut oil", and a label with tlic date attached. These have been 

 forwarded in batches to Mr. Gurney for identification, and with most 

 satisfactory results. 



The Committee regret that for the second year in succession th-oy 

 have received no report from the west coast of England. A late member 

 of the Committee, Mr. Philip M, C. Kermode, having failed to make any 

 returns, or to send the collected schedules, although repeated!}' requested, 

 to Mr. W. E. Clarke, who had undertaken the work of tabulating and 

 reporting on the same, provision has been made by the Committee for 

 supplying the deficiency in any subsequent yeai-s. 



The observations taken on the east coast of Gr(!at Britain in 1HS3 

 have been such as generally to confirm the conclusions arrived at in 

 former i-eports, having reference to direction of flight and lines of 

 migration. 



The winter of 188;V4 has been exceptionally mild, and there has been 

 fin almost entire absence of severe frosts and. lasting snowstorms ; the 

 prevailing winds in the autumn, west and south-west, such as observation 

 Shows are most favourable for migrants crossing the North Sea and 

 continuing their journey inland. Winds from opposite quarters to these 

 tire out the birds and cause them to drop directly they reach land. 

 Our land stations report a great scarcity both of land and sea birds ; 



' Jlcjwrt oil ihc Migration of Birds in ilw Spring and Antunm of 188IJ. West, 

 Newman & Co., 51 Hatton (iardcn, London, E.C. 



