314 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



from such stations as the South Bishop, the Smalls, and Caldy — 

 lists from which would be of deep interest in ascertaining the 

 distribution of migrator)' birds in this county. The Tuskar 

 rock, on the coast of Wexford, seven miles from the shore, is the 

 nearest point on the Irish coast to Pembrokeshire from which 

 there are any returns, and the birds there observed must, we 

 presume, have made their flight either directly over this county 

 or along its coasts. Numbers of birds are reported as striking 

 against the lantern at the Tuskar, and eigliteen species are named. 

 It would seem that there is hardly a bird that can be mentioned 

 which does not migrate. The smallest and the feeblest, such as 

 Goldcrests, Wrens, and Chiffchaff"s, are those which trust them- 

 selves to the dangers of a passage across the stormy seas in the 

 greatest numbers. The passage of birds over great distances of 

 water is supposed to indicate a period of time when the seas 

 which they now cross over did not exist. A very slight elevation 

 of the surface of the ground would cause the shallow German 

 Ocean and the English Cbainael to disaj^pear, and the British 

 Isles would again be what they were once — the westerii edge of 

 the continent of Europe. It is well known that birds inhabiting 

 islands surrounded by very deep water do not leave them, although 

 the mainland may be comparatively near. The present migrations 

 of birds to and across this country date from a time when, in 

 search of a warmer temperature, they made their flight entirely 

 over land. The tiny gold-crest leaves the fir-woods of the North 

 of Europe in the autumn in millions, and about the same time 

 as the Short-eared Owl and the Woodcock, its invariable and 

 strange compagnons de voyage, is found arriving on our eastern 

 coast. The unparalleled numbers which came to this country in 

 the autumn of 1882 was the most noticeable feature in the 

 migrations of birds during that year. On a fine and clear night 

 the flocks of birds keep wide of the lighthouses, but if it is rough 

 and foggy they dash themselves against the light, and their dead 

 bodies are to be gathered next morning in the lantern gallery or 

 on the ground at the base of the lighthouse. Thus we read of 

 small birds being picked up at one lighthouse in wheelbarrows, 

 and being distributed over the land as manure ; of 200 Chiff- 

 chaffs, one of the very smallest of our summer birds, striking 

 against the lantern at another place, and of 196 being picked up 

 dead; of over 1000 birds of various kinds being found dead 



