MR. HUTCHINSON'S ACCOUNT 201 

 other lands, must have grown accustomed to 

 certain definite appearances of the coast-lines ; 

 they will, for example, have observed the lights 

 of seaside towns and of lightships, and it is 

 assumed by ornithologists that the appear- 

 ances in no small measure act as guides to 

 the birds. But, in the place of friendly and 

 accustomed hghts, the feathered creatures 

 have witnessed ' the whole arch of heaven 

 swept unceasingly by the immense search- 

 lights ' projected from land and sea. It is 

 difficult to believe that a large number of 

 them have not already failed to find their way 

 under these new conditions and strayed out of 

 their course to strange and perhaps unsuitable 

 lands. The sound of continuous cannon must 

 also have affected the distribution of birds, 

 but not until this turmoil is over shall we be 

 able to study the exact changes in distribu- 

 tion that have taken place, nor shall we know 

 whether those changes are permanent or only 

 temporary." 



That the disturbance in Northern France 

 and Flanders will have some temporary effect 

 on the distribution of birds seems inevitable. 

 The matter is of considerable interest to orni- 

 thologists, who should endeavour to trace the 

 wanderings of the spring migrants who, hke 

 the unfortunate human inhabitants, will be 



