!6 [Proc. B NFC, 



" Rathlin O'Birne (Co. Donegal), October 31st, 1896 ; three 

 very large flocks of Starlings going E. between 9 and 1 1 a.m., 

 these being the largest flocks I ever saw, I should say about 

 2,000 were in one flock. It was like a cloud." 



" Dungarvan, Waterford, November 24th, 1897 ; a flock of 

 some thousands of Starlings going N.E." 



Everyone knows the superstition about the Magpie, " one 

 for sorrow, two for joy," etc., and most of us have seen a certain 

 member of the Club lifting his cap to every Magpie he meets ; he 

 would have had a busy time of it if he had been at Hook Tower, 

 Co. Wexford, on October 18th, 1893. The lightkeeper there 

 reports, " Magpies very numerous close to Station, probably 

 between 150 and 200." 



" Rockabill (off Dublin), November 1st, 1891. Countless 

 numbers of Blackbirds, Thrushes, Starlings, and a few Fieldfares 

 from 9 p.m., to 4 a.m. ; 16 Blackbirds, 9 Thrushes, 21 Starlings, 

 and one Robin killed striking. 



"Loop Head, Co. Clare, 1893; within half a mile of the 

 Station, I counted over 400 dead birds along the road." 



The above few examples of the autumn migration will give us 

 an idea of the vast and countless hordes of birds that come to us 

 every autumn. The following instances show that we receive 

 enormous numbers from England and Scotland whenever the 

 weather there is very severe. 



An extraordinary rush at the Copeland Lighthouse, off 

 Donaghadee, on the night of the 20th February, 1890, is thus 

 described. "Immense swarms of birds round lantern from 10 

 p.m. to 4 a.m., Larks, Blackbirds, Thrushes, and Starlings. The 

 air was filled with birds. The balcony outside was completely 

 covered with killed birds ; they were five or six deep all 

 round, so to walk round would be walking on dead birds. 

 Numbers got through the cowl into the lantern. The lantern 

 glass was so much soiled both inside and out that eight buckets 

 of water had to be carried up the next day to wash it." 



