EAST COAST OF ENGLAND. 65 



It is a curious fact that in nearly every case of birds passing 

 the Casquets l.h. in the past autumn, they were travelling in a 

 {/%// N.-^. direction, or from the French to the English coast, a line of 

 migration which does not seem to be in proper accord with what 

 we should imagine migrating birds would or rather ought to take. 

 On reference to the chart of the Channel it is apparent that any 

 flocks leaving the French coast at or near Cape de la Hague, and 

 crossing. Alderney, when once off the Casquets might as readily 

 and easily steer for the Start Point on the English side as across 

 the wide break in the French coast for Port Sillon, each being 

 about equal distances from the Casquets. 



As in 1879 birds have crossed in all hours of the day and 

 night, and in all winds and weathers, the returns also show, as 

 did the preceding, that they seldom fly dead to windward, except 

 with light breezes, and that strong head winds are prejudicial to 

 their passage. The line of flight mostly adopted is within three 

 or four points of the wind ; they will go on well, even with a beam 

 wind or some points short of beam, if not too strong. Small birds 

 have often much difficulty in making head against a strongly- 

 opposing wind. Mr. John Cutting, writing from the light- vessel 

 on the Galloper Bank, says, that out of the number of small birds 

 passing that station in October and November against strong 

 adverse winds, he could not think they would ever reach land, 

 they made such very slow progress, the wind being too strong 

 and the distance from land so great. Even such strong-winged 

 birds as the Grey Crow do not always cross in safety ; I have 

 been told by an old fen farmer that, many years ago, when a 

 great gale swept the Lincolnshire coast, at the time the Hooded 

 Crow crossed, the coast was subsequently strewed with their 

 bodies cast up by the sea. 



Birds are noticed at the stations as sometimes flying high, 

 sometimes low; often it will be observed with northerly and 

 easterly winds they will fly high, and with winds in opposite 

 quarters, low. The state of weather at the time of migration has 

 more, we think, to do with the height at which birds travel than 

 the direction of the wind. On clear light nights they travel high, 

 as a rule, but in fog, and thick murky weather, rain or snow, not 

 far above the waves. On thick nights, indeed, lost birds will 

 wheel for hours round a lightship, but with the first break in the 

 clouds or streak of early dawn are on their course again. At the 



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