APPENDIX. 469 



at the British Museum and referring to Gould's ' Birds of Europe ' 

 since my return, have not satisfied me on the point. Other examples 

 of the same species were seen on the passage, and afterwards in the 

 island of Paros. It seems to be the most common of the small 

 migratory owls to the south of Europe, and I have little doubt is the 

 species noticed by Sibthorp in his papers on Greece (published in 

 Walpole's Memoirs) as the Strix passerina. — Blue-headed wagtail 

 {MotaciUa neglecia, Goidd) : two of these bii'ds, both females, were 

 about the vessel all day, and very tame ; one of them flew into our 

 cabin. It was amusing to see them fly-catching on the deck, where 

 they appeared to great advantage, and met with considerable success. 

 Their manner is, poking out the neck most ludicrously, opening wide 

 the bill, and then — making the unerring dart at their victim.* 



"Common swallow (ff«V«?i(?o rustica). Two remained sometime 

 about the ship, perching on the rigging, and hawking over the deck in 

 pursuit of flies. 



"April 23.— Wind S.E., 80 miles from Malta and 50 from Cape 

 Passaro, the nearest land. A lesser grey shrike {Lanius mmor), of 

 which I had a near view several times; a whitethroat {Salvia cinerea), 

 a willow-wren {Sylvia Trochilus), and a black-headed buntingf {Eni- 

 beriza rnelanocephala), flew on board. Two individuals of the Motacilla 

 neglecta remained for some time in the vessel, as did a wheatear {Saxi- 

 cola QLuaHtlie) all day. A house marten {Hinindo urbica) flew into the 

 cabin and was found dead shortly afterwards : it had not met with any 

 molestation on board. The oflicers of the Beacon have frequently 

 kuown birds of diff"erent species, when crossing the Mediterranean, thus 

 lly into the cabin, secrete themselves, and die. A quail {Perdix Coturnix) 

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



''April 24. — Wind i).E., 90 miles E. of Sicily: Syracuse the 

 nearest land. Several of the Molacilla neglecta flew on board ; one of 

 them entered the cabin very boldly, and entertaiired us much by its 

 familiarity. Persons passing in and out of the room did not frighten it 

 from fly-catching, in which it succeeded by running, leaping, or taking 



" * When, oil the 16th of April, on our passage from Marseilles to Malta, aud 

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

 Molacilla neglccUt, both mules, flew on board llie steam- packet ; they were very 

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



"t A continental sj)eeies, aud not the bird — Euiheriza Sc/ueniclus — kuown in 

 some parts of the British islands by this name. 



