A MONTH ON KENTISH KNOCK LIGHTSHIP 9 



The day movements were chiefly observed during 

 the forenoon, but on some occasions were continued 

 until sunset ; while the hour and duration of the 

 nocturnal visits entirely depended upon the advent and 

 prevalence of weather conditions suitable for bringing 

 night migration under observation. 



Continuing the observations relating to emigration, 

 I have next to notice a series of movements from the 

 north-west towards the south-east- — that is to say, from 

 the Essex coast, at or about the Naze, to the Belgian 

 coast near the French frontier — a line of migration which 

 seems to have been overlooked, but one to which I have 

 recently drawn attention when treating of the spring 

 migrations, in the reverse direction, of the Rook and 

 Starling. The emigrations observed along this route, 

 though marked, were confined to a few species, but it 

 formed the main line across this part of the North Sea, 

 by which the House-Martin, Meadow-Pipit, and Pied 

 Wagtail sought the south, and was also a minor route 

 for Wheatears, Starlings, and Skylarks. Considerable 

 numbers of the three first-named species traversed it on 

 7th, 9th, and 14th October, days on which there was 

 little or no migration along other lines of flight. 



These movements to far southerly winter quarters 

 were by no means confined to the daytime, but 

 were in progress at night, when the weather was 

 favourable for migration and the atmospheric con- 

 ditions for their observation. All the species already 

 mentioned (excepting the Wagtails), with the addi- 

 tion of Common Whitethroats, Spotted Flycatchers, 

 Thrushes, and Blackbirds, were observed around the 

 lantern, sometimes for several hours and in great 

 numbers. 



