62 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



to ' strike ' till 4 A.M. ; but many remained at the lantern till 

 daylight. They were mostly all fine old birds. Most of those 

 killed were on the N.E. side, so they must have been flying 

 dead against the wind, which was blowing strong from the 

 S.W." ..." It appears a S.W. wind here is best for migra- 

 tion." " Greenfinches and Bramblings noted on 27th, with a 

 gale from the S.W. Very heavy migration." 



Mr Agnew's letter of the 7th November 1887 is well worthy 

 of careful perusal, but is too long for insertion here; 1 but the 

 following short extracts, or digest, may be acceptable : — " The 

 surprises I have met with during the last month beat all previ- 

 ous ones (as shown in the schedule to date). One of the few 

 Goldcrests taken in the Long Island was found dead amongst 

 other species." 



On November 4th Mr Agnew reports the rushes of migrants 

 as " very extraordinary." " That of yesterday larger than that 

 of 1st," and in moonlight and clear. The advanced guard were 

 Starlings from N.E., flying down the coast line, with wind " on 

 the port bow." [Note. — Mr Agnew's notes are so voluminous 

 and so interesting, that I hope some way may be found to 

 utilise them more fully. Many letters deserve a better fate 

 than oblivion. A great variety of species participated in this 

 rush, including Woodcock. — J. A. H.-B.] 



Barra Head. — Mr Chas. M'Fadzen sends two carefully filled 

 schedules, in which the Geese referred to are mostly Barnacle. 



Bona. — Messrs D. Dunnet and J. A. M'Gaw send one filled 

 schedule, from February 15th to November 12th, with the 

 further note : " Migration of birds here fewer in numbers than 

 former years. Solan Geese all summer as usual." 



Kyleahin. — Messrs D. MacCulloch and John dyne send 

 three well-filled schedules. Eush noticeable early in November, 

 but greater rush 10th December of Larks and Linnets, yet not 

 one seen near the lanterns. 



Sherry vore. — Mr Thomas Dawson sends four good schedules 



.two on Solan Geese. Under date of 1st October, he says, 



whilst having little of importance to relate, that he witnessed 

 a remarkable tussle between three Gannets and a large fish, 

 two coming to help the first, which had remained a long time 



1 The materials have been utilised for a forthcoming work on the " Vertebrate 

 Fauna of the Outer Hebrides." 



