266 RErouT— 1884. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. Jorx Cordeaux (Secre- 

 tary), Professor Newton, Mr. J. A. Harvie-Browx, Mr. William 

 Eagle Clarke, Mr. E. M. Barrixgtox, and Mr. A. Cf. More, 

 appointed for the purpose of obtaining (ivith the consent of 

 the Master and Brethren of the Trinity House and the Com- 

 missioners of Northern and Irish Lights) observations on the 

 Migration of Birds at Lighthouses and Lightuessels, and of re- 

 porting on the same. 



The General Report ' of the Committee, of which this is an abstract, 

 comprises observations taken at lighthouses and lightvessels, as well as 

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

 coasts of Scotland, the 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 Liitken, of Copenhagen. Altogether 158 

 stations have been supplied with schedules and letters of instruction for 

 registering observations, and returns have been received from 102. 



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

 for the generally careful and painstaking manner in which they have 

 filled up the schedules, and the very intelligent interest taken by them 

 in the inquiry. Special thanks must bo accorded to Messrs. H. Giitke, 

 Heligoland ; H. C. Mailer, Faroe ; and M. Thorlacius, Skykkesholm, 

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

 J. H. Gumey, for having commenced on the south-east coast of England 

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

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

 a wiug is cut off, and a label with the 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 they 

 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 years. 



The observations taken on the east coast of Groat Britain in 1883 

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

 former imports, having reference to direction of flight and lines of 

 migration. 



The winter of 1883-4 has been exceptionally mild, and there has been 

 an almost entire absence of severe frosts and lasting snowstorms ; the 

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

 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 ; 



1 Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn nf 1883. West, 

 Newman & Co., 51 Hatton Garden, London, E.C. 



