48 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



Larks, Mountain Sparrows, Golden-Crested Wrens, six Bobins, 

 four Eedpoles, Chaffinches, and Pewits, about 300 mixed Crows 

 and Books — altogether about 600 or more. Birds leaving the 

 vessel appear to go about W. and W.S.W. When the fog 

 cleared and the sun broke through, the Crows were seen pass- 

 ing to W. in three nights from 11 till 11.45 a.m. At noon they 

 came back to the vessel in a body, and remained till 1 p.m. 

 Caught one Eedwing Thrush that was struck by a Crow and fell 

 on deck bleeding. Several small birds struck by Crows and fell 

 in water. Two Eed-winged Thrushes and one Chaffinch caught 

 on board." 



Cockle l.v., September 14th. — 11 a.m., calm. Great quantities 

 of small bluish-coloured Flies ; left at 1 p.m. 



Languard l.v., September. — "The Musquitoes," Mr Owen 

 Boyle writes, " have been very numerous throughout the months 

 of July, August, and September. They have been very trouble- 

 some ; many people had swelled hands, puffed faces, and even 

 black eyes, from their stings." October 4th. — Lady-birds in 

 large numbers on the breakwater at noon, and up to sunset. 

 At 3 p.m. they were to be seen in thousands. 



Swin Middle l.v. — Mr S. Pender, with reference to the mi- 

 gration of the Einged Plover, writes under date of October 

 30th : " Concerning the birds which, I think, must be the 

 ' stone-runners,' and their manoeuvres, it was very amusing to 

 watch them. The birds were first seen in an eastward direction, 

 and I should think thousands, for when in close contact they 

 had the appearance of a small black cloud; at other times in a 

 long line and half circle, and so on. After they had finished 

 their exercise they separated into two parties, one passing to 

 the westward at no great distance from the vessel, and the other 

 disappeared in the direction where first seen. Sometimes they 

 would rise so high in the air, that they could not be seen with- 

 out a telescope, at other times apparently touching the water. 



Hanois l.h., October 31st, 8 p.m. — A quantity of Silver 

 Gamma Moths ; also a few brown ones, but smaller than the 

 Gamma. 



Mr Philip W. Munn, writing from Meder Kaufungen, near 

 Cassel, Germany, under date of March 30th, 1886, says : 



" The weather began to break up on Saturday week, and all 

 the snow had disappeared by the following Monday morning. 



