8 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



one Kedstart, one Starling, and one Eobin at the lantern ; not a 

 Woodcock has struck this year ; the Goldcrests which used to 

 flock about the lantern never come near it ; though they are very 

 numerous on the island?- I have only seen two at the lantern. 

 A fixed white light is no doubt best for attracting birds ; the 

 alternate light and darkness baffles them altogether, and the 

 quicker the revolutions are, the worse baffled they become. 

 There has been almost total absence during the past two years 

 of Eedpoles and Siskins." On the 19th November Mr Agnew 

 writes : " James " (his son) " shot a Great Spotted Woodpecker 

 on the 12th of this month. It is the first of its kind I have 

 seen here. It came after the great N.-E. gale reported in my 

 last schedule. The wind continued to blow strong from the 

 JST.-E. for days after the gale took off. I have sent it to Small 

 to get stuffed and set up. I want to give it in a present to the 

 young lady to whom my son, Joseph, is going to be married at 

 Dunbar." Mr Agnew then continues : " There has not been 

 much worth reporting since I sent you my last schedule (Nov. 

 6, 1886) ; the only birds (not resident) were some Wagtails and 

 Common Wrens. I suspect very much you have got the last 

 schedule from Isle of May. I am sorry for that, as you see 

 from the Woodpecker that strange things are always turning 

 up. I am very sorry at leaving the collection here, and I doubt 

 if it will be so well taken care of when I am awav." 



We have given Mr Agnew's correspondence very fully, as it 

 is the last we shall get from him at the Isle of May, and it 

 would be very ungracious if we did not take this opportunity 

 of once again expressing our warmest thanks for his able assist- 

 ance and always interesting correspondence. Comparisons are 

 said to be invidious, but we are quite sure none of his fellow- 

 keepers will grudge him the fullest praise which our Migra- 

 tion Committee can accord. Mr Cordeaux says (16th Oct. 

 1886) : " I am much concerned that Agnew is leaving the 

 Isle of May." We do not undervalue the observations of any 

 of our reporters, many of whom have not the opportunities of 

 observation which others have ; but we can point to a good 

 many more of the lighthouse keepers, both at the best sta- 

 tions and at the least frequented, who, according to their 

 opportunities, are not far behind Mr Agnew, if at all; and 



1 Distinctly illustrative of the effect of the quickly revolving light. —J. A. H. -B. 



