Coquet Island L.H., September 12th, W. (5).--Hundreds of small Flies
all night in lantern.
Outer Dowsing L.V., October 6th.--11 A.M. to 2 P.M., calm and fog. Mr
W. Stock writes: "A very large quantity of birds flew over, and a great
many flying about the vessel--Starlings, Redwings, Larks, Mountain
Sparrows, Golden-Crested Wrens, six Robins, four Redpoles, Chaffinches,
and Pewits, about 300 mixed Crows and Rooks--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 passing
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 Redwing
Thrush that was struck by a Crow and fell on deck bleeding. Several
small birds struck by Crows and fell in water. Two Red-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 troublesome; 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 migration of
the Ringed Plover, writes under date of October 30th: "Concerning
the birds which, I think, must be the 'stone-runners,' and their
manœuvres, 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 without 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 Nieder 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. No sooner did the
weather begin to break, and even before, than the birds began to rush
northwards to their breeding quarters.
"On the 25th of February, quantities of Skylarks flew overhead in small
parties in a northerly direction, the wind being S.E. This species
stopped here on the 5th of March, and have now taken the place of the
Crested Larks, most of which have left.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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