12 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



quietly to the lantern and then fluttered down the glass ; and, 

 had I not been on the spot to pick them off, the chances are 

 more likely than not that they would have exhausted themselves 

 and fallen over the balcony into the sea. If the birds, here 

 recorded by Mr. Barrington as having " struck" behaved 

 similarly, we then have an explanation offered as to why they 

 were not forwarded ; simply because they were probably never 

 brought to hand. For, from what I can glean from lightkeepers, 

 the common practice is not to go out on the balcony and try to 

 capture a bird which is fluttering down the glass, unless it first 

 shows some indication of having been disabled to a degree suffi- 

 cient to ensure its capture. 



The lightkeepers see so many common small birds fluttering 

 on the glass that they grow as used to the sight as we do when 

 we behold for a moment moths fluttering at a street-lamp, and 

 then take no further notice of these insects. This — coupled with 

 the fact that when migrants approach the glass it is frequently 

 raining, or at all events the weather is generally damp and foggy 

 and uninviting for the keepers to leave the shelter of the inside 

 of the lantern — gives the key to why so many birds are let pass. 

 If, on the other hand, we get a number of birds striking so hard 

 that they are killed outright and fall dead on the balcony, then 

 they would be secured next morning when the lightkeeper went 

 out to inspect the lantern, its framework, and riggings. More- 

 over, the rap at the window made by birds striking hard would 

 arrest attention, and induce the keeper on watch to go out on 

 the balcony at once, and collect, at all events, some of the birds 

 before he grew tired of this diversion. A case in point has recently 

 come to hand, when, in the space of about two hours, about 

 seventy Blackbirds struck so hard that they were discovered 

 on the balcony dead. The greater number of these were packed 

 and consigned to me by Mr. Power, Tuskar lightkeeper, to whom 

 I am greatly indebted for the material for research purposes. 



In regard to reported occurrences, it may be remembered 

 that I have already referred to the fact that it is important for 

 ornithologists to sift statements with a considerable degree of 

 caution. Even the trained ornithologist may at times make 

 mistakes in regard to the identification of the Bobin as it moves 

 hither and thither on a marine rock-island. This is due to the 



