The Scottish Naturalist. 139 



ging. Captain Sperling also gives a few instances of having 

 on the same track noticed the following, the passage being 

 nearly over at the time : Turtle-dove on the 25 th of May, 

 nearest land being 135 miles, and at the same date Sand- 

 martins no miles. Again, on the southern migration, in their 

 flights across the same sea, in the month of October (also a 

 little late) he observed the following : Thrush 105 miles fiom 

 the nearest land, two Robins (already alluded to) at the same 

 distance from land, Short-eared Owl 100 miles, all from the 

 nearest of the Ionian Islands; Turtle-doves (number not re- 

 corded) 240 miles from Malta, nearest land; these distances, on 

 glancing at the map, clearly show that the birds were going direct 

 to and from the Calabrian coast, the mouth of the Adriatic, and 

 the coasts of Tripoli. 



There are also many instances recorded of birds crossing 

 other parts of the Mediterranean off Sicily, Sardinia, &c., 

 both by the late Captain Sperling and other authorities, 

 and I have myself witnessed birds early in March passing 

 from the African to the Spanish coast in the track 

 between Algiers and Gibraltar, and on the 9th of that month, 

 at about nine o'clock in the morning, rather a rare bird, and in- 

 teresting in the southern part of Europe, namely the Red- 

 throated Blue-breast, {Cya?ieada Suecica Brehm.) flew on board 

 direct from the south, when about 25 miles from Cape de Gata, 

 the nearest land, and about 100 miles from the opposite coast ; 

 this specimen is now in my collection. I say interesting, as 

 there seems to be some doubt, according to Gould and other 

 authorities, as to where this bird winters. 



Among other birds that I particularly observed during the 

 passage is the Quail, both on their arrival and immediately 

 previous to their departure. On the Island of Fano, at the 

 mouth of the Adriatic, and about 30 miles to the north and 

 west of Corfu, it was my good fortune to see a large flight 

 of Quail make the land. The day previous the island 

 was covered with them, but on the morning of the day I 

 speak of, the 12th of April, 1842, there was not a bird to 

 be seen, they all having left during the night. While 

 sauntering along the rocky slopes of the island, which 

 stretched down to the sea many feet below me, I was suddenly 

 stopped by a precipice which went sheer down; on looking 

 over I saw coming direct from seaward six or seven little birds, 

 which I took to be Starlings, and which settled close to the water's 



