47 



nights across and past the island in one endless stream, defies evert 

 an approximate computation. Fields and gardens simply teem 

 with meadow pipits and chaffinches, so that at each step, in v hat- 

 ever direction, one rouses clouds of them. Golden crested wrens, 

 too, frequently simply flood the island in countless numhersl 

 Chiffobaffs, redbreasts, whitethroats, hedge sj arrows, rock pipits^ 

 shorelarks, bramblings, twites, and titmice, make their appearance 

 in greater or smaller flights, according to the stnte of the weather. 

 The nocturnal migration flights which proceed on such a stupen- 

 dous scale reach tJieir grandest development during the latter part 

 of the- month. The silence of the early part of the night is first 

 broken by the solitary note of the song thrush, and perhaps here 

 and there the. clear call note of the lark. Then, again, silence 

 reigns for a minute or two, only to be once more broken by the far 

 sounding cry of the blackbird, soon followed by that of a swiftly- 

 passing flock of sandpipers. The calls of the skylark rapidly 

 increase in number, smaller and larger flocks of birds being heard 

 approaching, and disappearing near and far. The hoarse cry of 

 the snipe is accompanied by that of the golden plover and of the 

 grey plover the wild scream of the curlew, the cries of the field- 

 fare, and of the redwing. Next by the sound of hundreds of 

 rapidly-ejeculated cries we recognize a long extending crowd of 

 knots, hastily pursuing its journey accompacied by an incessant 

 din of countless piping, rattling, and quaking voices, unknown to 

 gunner or fowler, and often reminding one of the strain of a 

 <;reaking cart wheel, many evidently proceeding from the heron 

 and its relatives. The whole sky is now filled with a babel of 

 hundreds of thousands of voices, and as we approach the light- 

 house, there presents itself to the eye a scene which more than 

 confirms the experience of the ear. Under the intense glare of 

 the hght, swarms of larks, starlings, and thrushes career around i^ 

 €ver varying density, like showers of brilliant sparks, or huge 

 -snowflakes driven onwards by a gale, and continuously replaced jals 

 they disappear, by freshly-arriving multitudes. Mingled with 

 -these birds, are large numbers of golden plovers, lapwings, curlews., 

 and sandpipers. Now and again, too, a woodcock is seen, or art 

 owl, with slow beatings of the wings, emerges from the darkness 

 iuto the circle of light, but, again, speedily vanishes, accompanied 

 by the plaintive cry of an unhappy thrush, that has become it's 

 prey. Such a migration stream lasts through a long autumnal 

 night, and may be repeated for several nights in succession." In 

 discussing the direction of migration flight Herr Giitke says, "The 

 view, much discussed in recent years, that migrants follow ■ the 

 direction of ocean coasts, the drainage area of rivers, or depressions 

 of valleys, as fixed routes of migration, can hardly be maintained. 



