A MONTH ON KENTISH KNOCK LIGHTSHIP 29 



surface of the water under all conditions of weather. 

 On certain occasions, notably on nth October, the 

 state of the atmosphere was such that it must have been 

 quite impossible for them to see more than one, or at 

 most two, hundred yards ahead ; and yet under these 

 conditions, when it might possibly have been an 

 advantage to fly high, they sped onwards, just skimming 

 the crests of the waves, and never departing from a true 

 east-to-west course. On fine clear days, with a light 

 wind, these flights were performed in a precisely similar 

 manner. Such facts as these, as well as many others, 

 afford, I think, conclusive evidence that birds are 

 endowed with a sense of direction which, even under 

 exceptional circumstances, seldom fails them. 



The speed at which birds fly while actually on 

 migration is another moot point on which I was able to 

 obtain some information at this remote station in the 

 North Sea. Speaking generally, the migrants pursued 

 their way at the steady rate characteristic of their 

 respective species. There was no hurry, but at the 

 same time there was a business-like manner about them 

 which was in keeping with the important event on hand. 

 Certain species habitually fly faster than others : thus 

 the flight of the Meadow- Pipit was slower than that of 

 the other species observed ; that of the Skylarks, 

 Chaffinches, Wagtails, and others was decidedly faster ; 

 while that of the Starlings, Martins, and Swallows was 

 the speediest of all. 



I had an excellent opportunity for roughly gauging 

 the speed of both Skylarks and Starlings on i8th 

 October. The " Irene" ran for some hours in the same 

 direction as the flight of these species. Flock after 



