266 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke— .4 Month 
diate vicinity of the lightliouse. During fog, charges o£ 
tonite are exploded every five minutes and produce a terrific 
report^ which must have a decidedly scaring effect on auy 
approaching migrants^ if such there be. 
The only migratory species observed during gales were the 
single examples of the Eed-necked Phalarope observed on 
two occasions. Certain otlier species, such as Skuas and 
Storm-Petrels, the latter especially^ were much in evidence 
when the weather was unsettled and the wind high. 
An important and interesting point in connexion with the 
phenomenon of emigration is the hour at which the emigrants 
set out upon their night movements. This^ however_, is a very 
difficult and obscure subject to investigate. No one^ so far 
as I am aware, has ever witnessed the act of birds rising on 
the wing to depart on their nocturnal journeys ; while the 
observations made at land-stations, which may be considered 
to bear upon the question, are surrounded by and associated 
with elements of great uncertainty. At the Eddystone, 
and other stations situated immediately off the south coast, 
it seemed possible in the autumn to procure data Avhich 
might enable us to fix this time of embarkation with some 
degree of accuracy. To this end I made a series of careful 
observations on the time of first appearance of emigrants at 
the Eddystone, and found that on a number of occasions 
in October this ranged from 6.50 p.m. to 7.15 p.m. The 
species noted were Song-Thrushes, Skylarks, Starlings, and 
Chaffinches ; but others were sometimes present, though 
not identified. On the dates on which these observations 
were made, the hour of sunset ranged from 5.30 p.m. to 6 p.m., 
but darkness did not ensue until about 6.15 p.m., or a little 
later. It is fair to assume that these earliest birds to appear 
had only a short time previously set out from localities con- 
tiguous to the shores of the mainland, some twelve miles 
distant. Taking these facts into account, I have come to the 
conclusion that when the weather conditions at the hour are 
favourable, the initial movement for crossing the Channel is 
embarked upon almost immediately after darkness prevails. 
During each major movement witnessed, neither the species 
