VOL. xiii] N0TP:S on migration of birds. 181 



Turtle -Dove (Streptopelia t. htrtur). 



One Turtle-Dove came on board near Linosa on September 

 7th, igi6, and on September i8th several settled on the ship 

 west of Crete. Several were seen north of Derna on October 

 1st, 1917. The spring migration gave me the following 

 records : — April i8th : Turtie-Doves migrating north in strong 

 westerly breeze west of Crete. One roosted at night in the 

 winch on the quarterdeck and was caught, killed and eaten 

 by a rat. April 20th : one Turtle-Dove caught and caged 

 between Derna and Crete in bad storm with westerly gale 

 {v. sub Quail). April 28th : several in Valletta market ; 

 April 30th : more going north against very slight north breeze 

 between Derna and Crete ; May 2nd : more met with west 

 of Crete in slight north breeze, fine and calm weather with 

 blue sky ; May 3rd : several east of Malta ; May 9th : one 

 south of Ustica. 

 White- WINGED Black Tern {Hydrochelidon leucoptera). 



May 26th, 1917 : one came on board very exhausted and 

 was captured and caged by one of the searchlight operators 

 near Pantellaria ; weather normal. 

 Common Partridge {Perdix perdix). 



One in Valletta market, September 29th, 1917. 

 Quail (Coturnix c. coturnix). 



Before coming out to the Mediterranean I had heard and 

 read of what a wonderful sight was the migration of Quails, 

 and was very disappointed to see so little of them. The 

 first 1 saw was one migrating on April 21st, 1917, between 

 Derna and Crete in the roughest weather I have ever experi- 

 enced at sea. The wind had been blowing from the north- 

 west for six days and increasing in strength gradually, so 

 that there is not much likelihood of that Quail having been 

 overtaken at sea by rough weather. It must have migrated 

 deliberately or blindly in spite of the storm. Nor was it 

 the only migrant, the previous day a Turtle-Dove was caught 

 and caged, and the following day a Nightjar flew by towards 

 the north. The latter was flying only a few feet (about ten) 

 above the waves. On April 28th a stroll to the Valletta 

 market showed that the birdcatchers had made a good haul 

 of live Quails. 1 did not see another on the spring migration. 

 On October ist, 1917, one flew by north of Derna, and on 

 October 6th one was caught on board and eaten between Port 

 Said and Crete. On October 28th the officer of the watch 

 reported " Quail and Snipe " between Port Said and Crete. 

 At Port Said the Arabs were said to be catching Quail by 

 hitting them with sticks. 



