Bird Nates from Trieste to Bombay. 173 



experience how dillicult it is to identify the birds seen on one's 

 first voyage— many of them, though exiremely common, l>eing 

 then met with for the first time. I have inserted short descrip- 

 tions of the birds as they appear through field glasses to the 

 ma)i on deck. 



1 saiteci in the Austrian J>Ioyd s.s. " Semiramis," from 

 Trieste on March l(Jth of this year and landed at Bombay on 

 Mai'cli 31st; the result of my daily observations is as follows: 



March IGth. Went on board the "Semiramis" which 

 sailed about -4 p.m. Two species of Gull were extremely 

 numerous in the harbour and followed us for a time after we 

 had started; these were Larus ridihmidus — the Black -headed 

 Gull, the majority of which were already in full breeding 

 plumage, and Larus cachinnans— the Yellow -legged Herring - 

 Gull, to be distinguished from the English bird, Larus argen- 

 tatus, by the colour of its feet, which are yehow. Towards 

 dusk two distant parties of birds were seen ilying low over 

 the sea; they were probably Fhalacrocorax carbo — the Common 

 Cormorant. 



March 17th. (Adriatic Sea). A calm day with but 

 little land in sight. No birds seen except Larus cachinnans 

 which followed in our wake, often uttering their harsh clucking 

 call — somewhat reminiscent of an exaggerated hen. 



March 18th. Passed about breakfast time between 

 the mainland of Greece and the islands of Cephalonia and 

 Zan,the. Larus cachimians still continues to follow the ship 

 in numbers. Some birds seen in the distance which appeared 

 to be Shearwaters. Also one or two specimens noted of a bird 

 that was probably Stercorarius crepidatus, Richardson's Skua; 

 these were flying along close to the sea, going straight and not 

 wheeling about like the Shearwaters. One turned suddenly and 

 joined the Herring Gulls in the wake, disputing with them for 

 fragments of food, which it took from the surface of the water 

 in the same manner as the Gulls; but, it did not come close 

 enough to the stern to admit of a satisfactory identification. 



March lUth. iS'o land in sight all day but Crete was 

 passed in the early morning. A few Larus cachitmans still 

 about but nothing like the number when we were in sight 

 of land. A dark Shearwater with white underparts was noted 

 iu small parties in the morning, but fewer were seen as the 



