MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS AT TUSKAR BOCK. 223 



solitary examples were observed at a time, each of the other 

 three species appeared for the most part in small parties. The 

 whole four species were not recorded as occurring on the same 

 day, one or two being more usual. In any case, individuals of 

 the same kind showed a marked tendency to keep together, as 

 we have seen, not only in the case of other diurnal but also of 

 nocturnal migrants, when the latter are effecting natural night- 

 flights in clear weather. 



Diurnal Migration of the Turtle-Dove. 

 Before leaving the subject, I may refer to a Turtle-Dove 

 which I observed on the Eock just about sunrise on Aug. 26th, 

 1912. The bird stood quite still, and in the bad light and heavy 

 rain I was not sure as to what species it belonged. On securing 

 it, and finding it to be a Turtle-Dove, I at once examined the 

 crop and gizzard, both of which contained wheat. Now, as the 

 crop was well packed, and most of the grains of corn had not 

 undergone any softening, the presumptive evidence is strong 

 that this bird fed at dawn probably not far from where I captured 

 it. In other words, it probably emigrated from the South of 

 Ireland. At all events, it could hardly have been winging its 

 way during the hours of preceding darkness, having made its 

 last feed the evening before. Here, then, is a case of a bird 

 which, though I did not make direct observation of its actual 

 arrival by daylight on the Eock, or of its demeanour, and 

 so on, yet analysis made on the contents of its crop point 

 to the fact that it appeared on the Eock as a diurnal migrant, 

 and owing to the heavy rain prevailing at the time, or perhaps 

 scared by the sight of a hawk, this Dove was tempted to 

 alight and seek refuge. 



Conclusion. 







In conclusion, I wish to draw special attention to a supremely 

 important fact, namely, that a comprehensive study of bird- 

 migration, as it occurs in daylight, might be made at the Tuskar 

 Eock, apart from its being a light-station at all. By day the 

 presence of the Lighthouse is a non-entity to passing birds ; 

 by night, under certain meteorological conditions, it is verily a 

 huge decoy. Were it possible to secure adequate shelter in all 



