462 THE ZOOLOGIS'T. 
autumnal passage were two in number, and affected the stations 
over the whole coast line both east and west of Great Britain. 
The first of these commenced about the 11th of October, and was 
continued to the 20th. The second from the 8th to the 12th of 
November. Itis worthy of notice that these two chief movements 
of the autumn were ushered in by and were concurrent with 
anti-cyclonic conditions, preceded by and ceasing with cyclonic 
depressions, affecting, more or less, the whole of the British Isles. 
From this it appears not unlikely that birds await the approach 
of favourable meteorological conditions—of which perhaps their 
more acute senses give them timely warning—to migrate in mass. 
Whatever may be the cause which impels these enormous rushes, 
often continuous for days, it is one which operates simultaneously 
over an immense area. 
The October rush reached its maximum on the 16th, at which 
date almost all the stations report extraordinary numbers of 
various species on the wing. As one out of many, we quote from 
the journals of Mr. James Jack, principal of the Bell Rock light- 
house :—‘‘ Birds began to arrive at 7.30 p.m., striking lightly 
and flying off again; numbers went on increasing till midnight, 
when it seemed that a vast flock had arrived, as they now 
swarmed in the rays of light, and, striking hard, fell dead on 
the balcony or rebounded into the sea. At 3 a.m. another flock 
seemed to have arrived, as the numbers now increased in density ; 
at the same time all kinds crowded on to the lantern windows, 
trying to force their way to the light. The noise they made, 
shrieking and battering the windows, baffles description. The 
birds were now apparently in thousands ; nothing ever seen here 
like it by us keepers. Wherever there was a light visible in the 
building they tried to force their way to it. The bed-room 
windows being open for air all night, they got in and put the 
lights out. All birds went off at 6 a.m., going W.S.W. Red- 
wings were most in number; Starlings next; Blackbirds, Field- 
fares, and Larks.” The rush in November chiefly took place in 
the night; at the Bell Rock the movement ceased at midnight 
of the 12th and at the Longstone lighthouse, on the Farn Islands, 
a little earlier—at 10.30 p.m., when the wind became strong 
from 8.W. 
From each succeeding year’s statistics the Committee have 
come to almost similar conclusions regarding the lines of flight— 
