126 Mr. W. Thompson on migratory Birds 



wide the bill, and then— making the unerring dart at their 

 victim*. 



Common Swallow [Hirundo rusticd). Two remained some 

 time about the ship, perching on the rigging, and hawking 

 over the deck in pursuit of flies. 



April 2.3.— Wind S.E., 80 miles from Malta, and 50 

 from Cape Passaro, the nearest land. A Lesser Grey-shrike 

 [Lanius minor), of which I had a near view several times ; a 

 Whitethroat {Sylvia cinerea), a Willow-Wren [Sylvia Trochi- 

 hfs), and a Black-headed Buntingt {Emberi^a melanocepJiala), 

 flew on board. Two individuals of the Motacilla neglecta re- 

 mained for some time in the vessel, as did a Wheatear {Sax- 

 icola QLnanthe) all day. A House Marten [Hirundo urbica) 

 flew into the cabin and was found dead shortly afterwards : 

 it had not met with any molestation on board. The officers 

 of the Beacon have frequently known birds of different spe- 

 cies when crossing the Mediterranean thus fly into the cabin, 

 secrete themselves and die. A Quail [Perdix Coturnior) was 

 captured on board, and appeared to be dying at the time. 



April 24. — Wind S.E., 90 miles E. of Sicily: Syracuse 

 the nearest land. Several of the Motacilla neglecta flew on 

 board ; one of them entered the cabin very boldly, and enter- 

 tained us much by its familiarity. Persons passing in and 

 out of the room frighted it not from fly-catching, in which it 

 succeeded by running, leaping, or taking short flights at its 

 prey : this bird even alighted on ourselves and picked flies off 

 our clothes. 



Two or three Hoopoes iJJpupa Epops) came on board, 

 rested for a short time, and proceeded on their flight ; a Tur- 

 tle Dove [Columba Turtur) did the same. 



A flock consisting of twelve Ibises [Ibis falcinellus,Temm.) 

 were seen fii'st at a distance coming from the south-west, flew 

 close past the vessel, and continued directly in the same course, 

 or towards the north-east, until lost to view. 



April 25. — Wind N.E., 58 miles from Calabria, the near- 

 est land : 135 miles from Movmt Etna at sunset, when it 

 was visible. A Scops- eared Owl [Strix Scops) was knocked 

 down and captured just as he had clutched a Lesser White- 

 throat [Sylvia Currucd), of which species two or three indi- 

 viduals came on board. A Shrike [Lanius ), which from 



* When, on the IGth of April, on our passage from Marseilles to Malta, 

 and about twenty miles southward of the most southern point of Italy, two 

 of the Motacilla neglecta, l)oth males, flew on hoard the steam-packet; tliey 

 were very tame, and remained in the vessel for half an hour. 



•f- A continental species, and not the bird — Emberiza Schoeniculiis — known 

 in some parts of the British Islands by this name. 



