Alcidæ, Auks.—At Flamborough, in February, 1884, great numbers of Razorbills, Alca torda, all returned to their nesting quarters on the cliffs, an unprecedented circumstance there; and large numbers of the Common Guillemot were reported by the fishermen as seen at sea off the headland. At the Farn Islands, March 22nd, 1883, Guillemots had come to their nesting quarters, thousands arriving on April 1st. Puffins on the 15th. On January 10th and 28th, 1884, on each day a Black Guillemot, Uria grylle, was shot from the island. The Little Auk, Mergulus alle, shot there on Dec. 29th; and on Feb. 4th and 5th, 1884, a great many were seen flying and swimming about the islands, more than had ever been seen before.
The Committee are again indebted to Professor Chr. Fr. Lütken, of the Universitetets Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen, for a list of the birds killed or taken against the lantern of the lighthouse of Stevns, on the projecting part of Zealand, marking the limit between the Baltic and Oresund, in the spring and autumn of 1883. The list has been drawn up by Mr. Autander, a physician living in the neighbourhood of the lighthouse. In forwarding the list to Professor Lütken he states there has been in this year only a few nights in which any number of birds have been killed, in consequence of the sky being generally clear during the time of the migration.
Stevns Fyr (Lighthouse of Stevns ), 1883.
Night to—
| April | 6th. | Saxicola œnanthe | 2, male and female. |
| " | " | Regulus cristatus | 2 males. |
| " | " | Erithacus rubecula | 1 male. |
| " | 12th. | Turdus viscivorus | 2. |
| " | " | T. merula | 4. |
| " | " | T. musicus | 10. |
| " | " | Alauda arvensis | 6. |
| " | " | Regulus cristatus | 1. |
| " | " | Saxicola œnanthe | 4. |
| " | " | Erithacus rubecula | 2. |
| " | 13th. | Scolopax rusticula | 1 male. |
| " | " | Columba palumbus | 1. |
| " | " | Sturnus vulgaris | 1. |
| " | " | Emberiza citrinella | 1. |
| " | " | Fringilla cœlebs | 1. |
| " | " | Saxicola œnanthe | 1. |
| " | " | Troglodytes parvulus | 2. |
| " | " | Alauda arvensis | 2. |
| " | " | Turdus musicus | 8. |
| " | " | Erithacus rubecula | 15. |
| Aug. | 4th. | Tringa alpina | 1 male. |
| " | 26th. | Jynx torquilla | 1 male. |
| Sept. | 3rd. | Sylvia trochilus | 3. |
| " | " | Luscinia phœnicurus | 1 male. |
| " | " | Muscicapa grisola | 1 male. |
| " | " | M. atricapilla | 1 female. |
| " | " | Columba ænas | 1 female. |
| " | " | Lanius collurio | 1 young male. |
| " | 5th. | Querquedula cracca | 1 male. |
| " | " | Motacilla alba | 1 young male. |
| " | " | Luscinia phœnicurus | 6. |
| " | " | Jynx torquilla | 1. |
| " | " | Sterna argentata | 1. |
| " | " | Erithacus suecicus | 1. |
| " | " | Sylvia schœnobænus | 1. |
| " | " | S. cinerea | 2. |
| " | " | S. hortensis | 5. |
| " | " | S. trochilus | 2. |
| " | " | Motacilla flava | 1. |
| " | " | Saxicola œnanthe | 2. |
| " | " | S. rubetra | 1. |
| " | " | Muscicapa atricapilla | 4. |
| " | " | †Locustella fluviatilis | 1. |
| " | 6th. | Podiceps minor | 1 young male. |
| Oct. | 1st. | Turdus musicus | 2. |
| " | 4th. | Sylvia atricapilla | 1. |
| " | 11th. | Turdus musicus | 8. |
| " | " | Sturnus vulgaris | 1. |
| " | " | Alauda arvensis | 2. |
| " | " | Sylvia rufa | 2. |
| " | " | Fringilla montifringilla | 6. |
| " | " | Emberiza schœniclus | 11. |
| " | " | Erithacus rubecula | 25. |
| " | 20th. | Fringilla montifringilla | 1. |
| " | 26th. | Coccothraustes vulgaris | 1 male. |
| Nov. | 1st. | Emberiza citrinella | 1 male. |
† Determined at the Museum; not before found in Denmark.
Since the completion of the Report a schedule has been received from the Leman and Ower L.V. moored forty-eight miles E.N.E. of Cromer, on the coast of Norfolk. From Feb. 11th to May 8th, Skylarks, Black Crows, Rooks, Wild Ducks, Starlings, and Goldcrests, are recorded as going in westerly directions; a like anomalous direction was maintained during the same period at the Outer Dowsing, Newarp, Cockle, and Llyn Wells light-vessels by birds passing these stations. On May 8th a great many Goldcrests came from the south at 11 a.m., and then went west. Sept. 11th, great numbers of Goldcrests going from S.E. to W.; and on Oct. 28th with Redbreasts and Wrens from S. to N.W. Between Oct. 27th and Nov. 1st two hundred and eight birds were killed or taken on the vessel, including seven Grey Crows, Larks, Redbreasts, Wrens, Goldcrests, Starlings, Sparrows, Chaffinches, and two Woodcocks; these birds were travelling from S., S.E., and E. to N.W., N.N.W., and W.
Wings from Galloper L.V. by Mr. Gurney. Oct. 10th, Tree Sparrow and Chaffinch; 11th, Shore Lark; 13th, Great Tit; 27th, Chaffinch; 28th, Blackstart (young male or old female?), Thrush; 30th, Meadow Pipit; Nov. 3rd, Jack Snipe and Water Rail.
On April 9th, 1884, I received from Mr. Gurney the wing of a Dabchick (Little Grebe), which struck the lantern of the Hasbro' lighthouse at 11 p.m. on the night of March 30th. The force was so great that the bird was split from the neck along the entire length of body; and on April 8th a Hoopoe was killed against the North Hasbro' L.V., and the head, wings, and legs sent to Mr. Gurney by Mr. B. V. Darnell, mate of that vessel. A Hoopoe was also taken alive on April 10th, on board a Grimsby smack when one hundred miles E.N.E. of the Spurn, wind blowing strong from E., and had been for some days.
At Heligoland, on the night from Aug. 6th to 7th, S.E., a considerable flight of the Silver Gamma Moth, Plusia gamma, but nothing to be compared with the perfect snow-storms of this moth which passed in the autumn of 1882, all going west. On Oct. 11th, S.S.W., there was a considerable flight of Hybernia defoliaria, the Mottled Umber Moth, mixed with Hybernia aurantiaria, the scarce Umber; and also during the nights of the last week in October repeated flights of these moths. With reference to the great flight of Plusia gamma in 1882, a notice of which appeared in our last Report, 1882, p. 47, Mr. Charles Williams, of the Hanois L.H., Guernsey, sends this note:—"Seeing Mr. Gätke's remarks in your Report about the Gamma Moth, I beg to say that they were here in June or July."