the stunted thorn, bushes on the dunes or links for miles along the 

 xjoast swarming with these tiny creatures — the smallest migrant i^ 

 the entire palsearctic region. Some have been much mor? 

 exhausted than others ; some have actually rocked to and fro with 

 jveakness, as they sat upon the twigs ; but the more robust ones 

 ■were feeding eagerly, and some even indulged in song ! " H$ 

 thinks that these flocks represent only the strongest, and that all 

 their weaker companions have succumbed to the fatigue, and 

 'perished at sea. The greatest natural enemies of migrants are 

 ihawks, falcons, and owls. The large falcons follow migrating 

 ducks, the smaller hawks live upon the warblers, thrushes, fincheg, 

 and the like. Hawks will even hunt for small migrants in the 

 rays of the lanterns of the lighthouses. Many of these birds of 

 pray are themselves migratory, and are careful to make their own 

 migrations correspond with those of their victims, 

 : Lighthouses and lightships are a great danger to birds. la 

 cloudy and foggy weather, numbers kill themselves by flying against 

 the glass. Foghorns seem to prevent birds striking. Seabirdg 

 xarely strike, except stormy petrels. Here is the report of Mr, 

 Littlewood, keeper of the Galloper light vessel, moored fifty miles 

 off the mouth of the Thames, made on the night of October 6tli, 

 1882: — "Larks, starlings, mountain sparrows, titmice, common 

 '.wrens, redbreasts, chafliuches, and plover were picked up on the 

 deck, and it is calculated that from 500 to 600 struck the rigging 

 ^and fell overboard ; a large proportion of these were larks. 

 "Thousands of birds were flying round the lantern from 11,30 p.m. 

 to 4,45 a.m., their white breasts as they darted to and fro in the 

 ^circle of light, having the appearance of a heavy fall of snow. 

 This was repeated on the 8th and 12th, and on the night of tble 

 13th, 160 were piched up on deck, including larks, starlings, and 

 -two redbreasts ; it was thought 1,000 struck and went overboard 

 •into the sea. " Woodcocks have broken glass 8-8th inch thich 

 -by the force of contact. A little grebe {Podiceps minor), struck 

 ■■the lantern of the Hasbro light vessel, off the Norfolk coasts, at 

 11 p.m. on the night of March 30th, 1883, with such force as to 

 .split the bird from the neck along the entire length of the body! 

 At the Longstone Lighthouse on November 10th, 1885, " one of 

 the large snipe struck south-east side of lantern at 9.45 p.m., and 

 was almost smashed to pieces." At a lighthouse off Wexford, 

 '1,200 birds were counted as killed in a single night, whilst 

 hundreds more fell into the sea. 



The great spring migration of birds may be said to commence 



about the middle of February. Migration flows and ebbs with the 



sun. The spring migration advances in the wake of the sun, on 



:his apparent northward course, and in the same way the autumn 



