12 



fifty foot, some miles south-east of Pulau Jemor. where our main 

 colleotious were formeil. The entire colony, cousistini; of some hun- 

 dreds, appeared to bo adult birds. 



In tho immediate noit,'hbourhood of the coasts of the Malay Penin- 

 sula gannets are very rarely seen. An adult bird in the Selangor 

 Miiseum was caiight bv ilying under the thwarts of a boat at Pulau 

 Jarak. in the centre of the Straits of Malacca, about a hundred and 

 thirty miles south of Penang. 



Ml. FREGATA AQUILA-TliE LARGER FRIGATE BIRD. 



Fregata aquila (Linn.); Ogilvie-Grant, i.e., p. 443; Sharpe, i.e., 

 p. 237. 



Immense flocks of frigate birds were met with round the islands, 

 but none could be obtained. They are not often seen in the southern 

 half of the Straits of Malacca, except during the prevalence of strong 

 winds, and I have only noted them once o\\ the east coast of the 

 Peninsula, near Senggora in December, 1901, during a strong gale 

 from the north-east. 



15. ACCIPITER VIIiGATUS-THE BESRA SPARROW HAWK, 



Accipiter virgatus (Temm.) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds, i., p. 150 (1874) ; 

 id.. Hand-lid of Birds, i., p. 253 (1899). 



A constant stream of these small sparrow hawks, nearly all imma- 

 ture birds and evidently on migration, was passing over the islands 

 during our visit in November and over thirty were shot. They were 

 obviously half starving and showed extraordinary boldness in chasing 

 and striking down birds much larger than themselves, several being 

 captured in the act. They were observed feeding on Pitta cyauoptera, 

 Coccystes coromandus, Surniculus lugubris, Dicrurus annectens and 

 Hierrococcyx fugax ; the mimetic resemblance, the latter bird is said 

 to possess, is thus evidently no protection against the actual model. 



With the possible exception of the Brahminy Kite and the White- 

 liellied Sea Eagle, this is the commonest bird of prey in the Malay 

 Peninsula and is found everywhere from the top of the highest moun- 

 tains to sea level, and in the densest jungle as well as on open grass 

 plains. 



Ifi. l-'ALCO I'EREGIilXUfl-'THE PEREGRIXE I'ALCON. 



Falco i>eregrinus (Tunst.) ; Sharpe, t.c, p. 374 ; id.. Hand-list, i., 

 p. 273 (1899). 



Two males and a female were shot, but the two fonner fell into a 

 tide-rip and could u.it be recovered. The specimen secured is not very 

 dark and cannot be refeiTed to the Soudaic and Papuan race, Falco 

 erfusli (Sharjx*, Ibis, 1894, p. 548). 



