LAND BIEDS AT SEA. 53 



battle-ships afloat — and consequently it is very much easier to 

 miss a bird which alights on board so large a vessel than it is to 

 do so in a smaller craft like the * Anselm.' 



Upupa epops. — On March 15th, 1899, when about one hundred 

 miles west of Cape Finisterre, at five o'clock in the evening, a 

 Hoopoe came on board of us, but shortly dropped astern and dis- 

 appeared. This happened in very fine weather. 



Falco tinnunculus. — On March 23rd, 1899, when about sixty 

 miles from the north-west coast of Spain, in dull cloudy weather, 

 a Kestrel flew on board, and remained the rest of the day. At 

 night it managed to get into one of the canvas steaming covers 

 round the fore -topmast, where a boy made an ineffectual attempt 

 to catch it. 



Daulias luscinia. — On April 29th, being then about one 

 hundred and sixty miles W.S.W. of the southern end of Sardinia, 

 two Turtle-Doves, a Nightingale, and another small bird which I 

 could not get a good view of, came on board the ship ; but all 

 shortly left us for some other member of the squadron. 



Sturnus vulgaris. — On Oct. 26th, 1899, whilst proceeding 

 towards Ushant from Scilly, and about one-third nearer the 

 former, at 5 p.m. in foggy weather, a Starling alighted on board of 

 us for a few minutes, and then departed in an eastwardlv direction. 

 On Oct. 27th, when about midway across the Bay of Biscay, a 

 Swallow came and perched on our quarter-deck awning ridge 

 rope at 9 a.m. 



The above are my notes, lamentably scanty, but still a con- 

 tribution to what is, I think, an interesting subject. I offer them 

 without comment. 



