during a Voyage from Ceylon to England. 149 



On the 24th Oct. a Pipit (species doubtful) flew ou board, 

 when we were about twenty miles south-east of the island of 

 Socotra. At the same time and place several small Finches 

 came on board ; but we could not determine their species. 



On the 25th Oct. a Quail {Coturnix commimis, Bonn.) made 

 its appearance, and remained with us for several days, after- 

 wards taking its departure for the south. 



The 26th October was the richest day of feathered visitors 

 we had, when the following arrived, viz. : — a Grey Flycatcher 

 [Muscicapa) ; about a dozen Swallows {Hirundo) ; a small 

 Horned Owl [Ephialtes) with yellow iris and a row of distinct 

 dark spots or markings on the wing-coverts, otherwise similar 

 to E. bakkamasna of Ceylon (it allowed us to approach 

 quite close to it, but it ultimately flew off to the south) ; two 

 species of Water- Wagtail; three birds which appeared through 

 a glass to be Rollers or allied birds ; an Artamus ; a bird the 

 size of a small Pigeon, with rather long tail and long straight 

 bill, which alighted on the the top of the mainmast, but could 

 not be identified. 



On the morning of the 27th, when between Socotra and 

 the Arabian coast, a Falcon {Falco peregrinator ?) flew on 

 board, and was secured at night. If we have not mistaken 

 our bird, this is the noble " Shaheen '' Falcon, so much prized 

 by Indian rajahs for falconry. Being' a rare and most inter- 

 esting bird, we took every care of it, and carried it to England 

 safely, and presented it to the Zoological Society of London. 

 It is now in the Society^s Gardens, and appears in the list 

 of additions to the Menagerie under this name (see P. Z. S. 

 1876, p. 839). It is smaller, more compact, and even more 

 courageous than the true Peregrine. It is a curious circum- 

 stance that the first bird of this species described was procured 

 by Sundevall at sea between Sumatra and Ceylon (see Jer- 

 don^s ' Birds of India,^ p. 26) . 



On the 28th Oct. a Linnet (species doubtful) flew on board, 

 as we passed up the Gulf of Aden. Great numbers of Sea- 

 birds were here seen around the ship and along the Arabian 

 shore. We now entered the Red Sea, when few of the fea- 



SER. IV. VOL. I. M 



