336 Letters, Announcements, &^c. 



likely enough to attract them, the path, which is of considerable 

 breadth, being covered deeply with dry sand and stones, which, 

 on hot days especially, form just such a spot as Sand-Grouse 

 would delight to bask in. There are, indeed, many similar 

 places much more retired between the town of Girvan and the 

 ruins of Turnberry Castle, a distance of six miles ; and I hope 

 yet to be able to report that they have bred in the district. 



I am, Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



Robert Gray. 



Glasgow, July 11, 1872. 



Sir, — I promised to send you an account of the birds seen 

 during my voyage to Para, as a continuation of the many letters 

 I have sent you on the same subject; I fulfil this promise, if 

 only to record the most desert and bird-forsaken portion of the 

 ocean that it has ever been my lot to traverse. 



We left Liverpool in the steamer ' Lisbonneuse ' on the 18th 

 of May, and, passing down the Mersey and the English coast, 

 crossed over to Havre. Half a dozen Gulls and a small flock of 

 Grey Plover, making across the channel for the English side, 

 were all the sea-fowl we saw. A Swift and a Swallow flew round 

 the ship ; and a female Wheatear came on board. 



Between Havre and Lisbon, where we arrived on the 25th, I 

 only saw a few Thalassidromce — T. leachi and T.pelagica, I think, 

 from their respective sizes. 



On Wednesday the 29th, between Madeira and the Canary 

 Islands, lat. 31° 31' N., long. 16° 20' W .*, we saw two black 

 Petrels, and one grey one, but so far away as to preclude my 

 even guessing at the species. 



On Friday the 31st, lat. 25° 7' N., long. 21° 52' W., we first 

 reached the region of flyingfish and Physalia atlantica. Now 

 surely, I thought, we shall see some birds ; but, no ! Saturday, 

 June 1st, lat. 21° 49' N., long. 24° 22' W., only brought us two 

 ThalassidromcE, and the next day (lat. 15° 13' N., long. 29° 26' 

 W.) a grey Petrel in the morning and again at night. 



Not a bird did we see after this till the evening of the 5th 

 * Our position at noon each day is given. 



