110 The Queensland Naturalist December 1948 
son of migration vast flocks of birds can be seen moving 
through the beams of the light and many dash right into 
the lighthouse itself, dazzled by the strong light stream- 
ing from it. Another famous German station is at lios- 
sitter on a narrow isthmus in the south-eastern corner of 
the Baltic Sea. Here a long stretch of straight beach 
running in the same direction as the annual migration 
from the north of Europe to England and southern 
France, gives excellent opportunities for observers. 
Early in October, witli its promise of the oncoming winter 
of the northern Hemisphere, birds of many kinds move 
south and west from their feeding and nesting grounds 
of the previous summer. Every minute or so flocks of 
hooded crows, rooks and jackdaws pass, all flying steadily 
and quietly at distances of 100 to 800 feet, some flocks 
numbering up to 100 individuals; one lot would hardly 
be past before another would he coming. It was calcu 
lated that 2,000 birds passed in every hour from daylight 
to midday. 
On the following days the numbers were even larger, 
all on the same settled routes and all moving unhurriedh . 
On the later days other birds .joined the throng, larks and. 
Finches low to the ground, woodpigeons at greater 
heights and greater speeds, and over all predatory birds 
of the hawk family took toll of stragglers. 
Similar great flights have been recorded from many 
islands and lighthouses in the British Isles. Two ladies 
watched from the lighthouse on the Isle of May in the 
Firth of Forth one night or early morning from midnight, 
to 8 a.m. and, although hampered by frequent rain storms, 
recorded bis rushes of warblers, whoatcars, winehats, 
redstarts’ golderests and pipits. The lantern has four 
rays at right angles and the birds flew through the beams 
which portrayed them without bewildering them or caus- 
ing them to dash into the lantern as so often happens al 
other places. Added to the fascination of these waves of 
tinv birds, the brilliance of the light turned them into 
gold and tempted many to break into song. Early the 
following day the observers were out on the island to see 
what was to be seen and found huge numbers of those 
identified the night before and many others, resting all 
over the island. On other days the same ladies on the 
same island saw daylight flights coming and often 
