170 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



way." They are seen, however, every year in some numbers in 

 October. At Sumbiirgh Head, Mr. Anderson says, " In twenty- 

 one years I have not seen so few birds strike the lantern " ; and 

 ^Ir. Tnlloch, svritinpj from North Ronaldshay, says, " We have 

 had so much of N.W. winds here this fall, that I think the birds 

 have been kept more towards the south." Similar complaints of 

 scarcity of migrants reach me from Auskery, Hoy Sound (High), 

 Holboin Head, Ness Head, and Isle of May ; and an entire 

 absence of all birds — "since the schedules came to hand" — is 

 reported at several of these stations. The reason assigned bj' 

 Mr. TuUoch is no doubt the correct one. From other stations 

 local influences probably have more to do with the scarcity, as, 

 for instance, the unfavourable positions of the lanterns. Thus, 

 Cromarty is " situated on the point of the town of Cromarty, and 

 almost among the houses." During seventeen years that the 

 present principal light-keeper has been there, he does not think 

 tliat more than a dozen birds have struck the glass. Altogether, 

 few of our Scottish stations are situated in as favourable positions 

 for observation as the lightships of the English coast. Perhaps 

 the Bell Rock and Isle of May are the most favourable in the 

 south, and the Pentland Skerries and some of the Orkney and 

 Shetland stations in the north. 



Besides the records under the various species which have been 

 identified, there are many records of birds striking or passing, 

 which were not identified. It is from a comparison of these and 

 the other records that I arrive at the conclusion that the above 

 stations are the most favoured. Thus, large -numbers of birds 

 struck the lantern of Bell Rock, and were lost between midnight 

 and dawn on Oct. 7th, and again on the 14th, between 3 a.m. and 

 dawn ; on both occasions in foggy, hazy, or rainy weather, &c., as 

 is almost invariablv the case. I have not been able to trace from 



ft/ 



actual data, except in a few cases,, the direction of the flight of 

 the migrants, as such has not, as a rule, been noted by the 

 reporters. It would be an advantage to have this done next 

 season, under the column in the schedule for " General Obser- 

 vations." The species which have appeared in greatest numbers 

 are Thrushes and Blackbirds, Larks, Wheatears, and Swallows ; 

 wliilst Hooded Crows — noted as most numerous on the English 

 east coast — are absent from all the Scottish returns, and Rooks 

 occur only in one very far north instance, viz., at North Unst. 



