3°6



Mr. T. H. Newman,



Chaffinches (Fringilla c-celebs), and Blackbirds (.Merida merula)

were favourite cage birds. There were numbers of Pigeons flying

about the town of Ajaccio, all very tame.


Feb. 22nd was spent at Naples (one of the few wet days).

The top of Vesuvius was hidden by misty clouds. I have no

bird notes from here. On the next morning we passed through

the Straits of Messina, getting a good view of snow-covered

Ftna.


The following morning found us anchored in the Bay of

Katokolo, from which place we took train to the famous ruins of

Olympia, passing on the way fields of the low vines which

produce the “ currants” of commerce. It is said that the natives

cannot imagine what we use these indigestible delicacies for, but

suppose we make a dye from them. The usual aloe, olive, and

orange trees grow in great abundance ; birds were plentiful, but

I was unable to make many identifications, though the unmis¬

takable Magpie was common ; it was about as hot as an average

English summer’s day. Eizards, frogs, and butterflies were

numerous. I caught a fine locust.


It was w 7 heu we were somewhere in this neighbourhood,

though I have omitted to record the exact locality, that a Red¬

breasted Flycatcher (.Muscicapa fiarva) came 011 board, and was

caught by a cat, it was then taken by Canon Tristram (who was

among our party), and converted into a “specimen.” I did not

actually see this bird, but the Canon told me about it. I suppose

it was on migration, as Howard Saunders remarks that it is “only

a migrant to Italy, the islands of the Mediterranean, Greece, and

Black Sea region.”


Feb. 26th and 27th were spent seeing the wonders of

Athens with its wealth of memories ; the weather was very

warm, there had not been any rain for months. The graceful

pepper trees gave a grateful shade in some of the streets, Gold¬

finches and Blackbirds were the popular cage birds. Great

activity prevailed in the Piraeus, troops were being embarked for

Crete, preparations for the Greco-Turkish war being at that time

in progress. On the afternoon of the 28th we arrived at the

entrance to the Dardanelles, giving us our first sight of Asia,

which was not very imposing, as the land on that side is low



