REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 187 
shot off again somewhere near Orfordness and crossed the North 
Sea to the Belgian and French coasts between Nieuport and 
’ Dunkerque. On Noy. 24th a great quantity of Larks and Starlings 
passed the Galloper towards the N.N.E, a line which if persevered 
in would eventually bring them to the Dutch coast. 
At the Kast-side from the 2nd to the 5th of November flocks of 
“Crows” were observed passing from the 8. to the N., or from the 
French to the Suffolk coast. ‘The great body of the immigrants 
during 1879 have crossed at the more southern stations, the four 
hghtships on the Goodwin Sands, also the Nore, the Shipwash 
and Kentish Knock showing a constant and continuous stream 
on to the south-east coast. These birds would all cross at the 
narrowest part of the North Sea directly from E. to W. to the 
English coast. The long prevalence of north-westerly winds in 
October and November may to a great extent have deflected the 
lines of migration much farther to the south than is generally 
the case. 
Migrants have passed the stations at all hours of the day and 
night, flying at no great altitude and in almost all winds and 
weather. When the nights are dark and cloudy, no stars 
appearing, in rain, fogs and snowstorms, flocks of birds during 
the night migrations will crowd round the lanterns of the light- 
ships; many strike the glass and are killed, falling on deck or 
pitching overboard. On these nights birds will often remain 
for hours in the vicinity of a light, circling round and round, 
evidently having lost their way; at the first break in the clouds, 
the stars becoming visible, or the first streak of early dawn, they 
will resume their flight to the nearest land. 
The “great rush” of immigrants was from the 12th to the 
23rd of October. The “final rush” took place just preceding and 
during the first burst of winter, early in December. 
The occurrences when birds travel dead to windward are very 
rare indeed, and then only with light winds. In the great majority 
of cases birds migrate flying within two to four points of the wind, 
sometimes with a “beam” wind, or even a point or two “ abaft of 
beam.” If the wind changes during the actual passage, birds will 
change the direction of their flight to suit the wind. Thus at the 
Shipwash, on Oct. 16th, from 9.50 a.m. to 1.20 p.m. the wind was 
N.N.W., flocks constantly passing from 8.E. to N.W. from 1.20 
to 3.20 p.m. the wind blew from N.N.E., and the birds passed 
