Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 413 



Formosa, March 7th, 1864. 



Sir, — On a voyage to China overland from England via France 

 and Egypt, one makes such a hurried transit through the various 

 interesting countries, that not much time is left for ornitholo- 

 gical observations. A few incidents and occurrences, however, I 

 have jotted down, which may prove of some interest. 



Between Marseilles and Malta, when eighty miles from the 

 latter place, the weather being calm, two male Sparrows {Passer 

 domesticus, L.) and two Robins {Erithacus ruhecula) came on 

 board the steamer, and stayed a short time; they were evi- 

 dently on their passage across from Europe to the African coast. 

 Between Malta and Alexandria, about 100 miles off the African 

 shore, a Gold-crest {Regulus cristatus) came on board. The 

 weather was then also calm ; so that this little fellow must have 

 been making a long sea-journey with some intended object. His 

 appearance was so sudden that I could not tell from what direc- 

 tion he came. If a short-winged creature, like a typical Regu- 

 lus, can venture with confidence so far out to sea, no wonder that 

 its long-winged ally, the Reguloides modesties, Gould, should turn 

 up in such improbable latitudes. 



At Cairo we did the sights on donkey-back, as every English- 

 man does, and, among other "lions,'' went to see the Pacha's 

 gardens on the banks of the Nile. In these prettily laid-out 

 grounds a very small portion was devoted to zoology. The 

 menagerie contained a female Hyena and two cubs, a few Ragged 

 Pheasants (P. colchicus), a hen Silver Pheasant [Euplocamus nyc- 

 themerus), and some domestic poultry. The attendants assured 

 us it was only a commencement. This we could plainly see our- 

 selves ; but, at all events, it shows a taste in the right direction, 

 and we may hope for improvement. Our run from Alexandria 

 to Cairo was so hurried that I had not time to note many birds. 

 Kites were floating on lazy wing over Alexandria, and were con- 

 tinually seen about the Nile. They were, I pi'esume, the species 

 known as Milvus ater, but in scream and manner were very 

 similar to our Chinese friend. About the marshes near Alex- 

 andria there was an abundance of small water-fowl (27th Octo- 

 ber), of which the only bird that particularly attracted my atten- 

 tion was a Black-breasted Plover seen singly or in small parties. 



