SOME NOTES ON LAND-BIRDS 23 



numbers of a small wasp-like fly, body back and yellow rings, 

 also a few moths came on board. After anchoring 3 miles 

 north of Kingshan Island some gulls (L canus), and towards 

 sunset, a few swifts hawking for flies close to the water. 

 These stayed until dark. 



August 26th. — At anchor 5 miles west of Tsin Shang 

 Eocks (Haichow) Wind E.S.E. (6); a fresh gale overcast 

 and squally. I stayed here one day and noted the following 

 birds. A few gulls mostly (L canus) — both mature and 

 immature; there were several much larger gulls having a 

 slow crowlike manner of flying, which I am inclined to 

 think w T ere skua, but on considering further they did not 

 agree to the description, without they were immature. 

 Another thing these never associated together or with other 

 gulls. Their bill was larger and horn colour with a black 

 tip, plumage generally a speckled brown, under wings and 

 belly white. There were also two species of terns, one the 

 common tern (S fluviatilies) and the other may have been 

 (S fulginosa) or the Panayan tern (S anaesthata). Of petrel 

 some eight or ten birds, generally several together either 

 on the wing feeding or at rest on the water. Their colour 

 a brownish black, the tail slightly forked, which makes me 

 think that they were Swinhoe's petrel. Towards sunset 

 most of the birds had left, though I still saw a few gulls 

 and petrel around till dark. Also one swift with a white 

 rump, possibly C pacincus, this was hawking for flies close 

 to the ship and though after sunset it made no attempt to 

 fly ashore the land being some 15 miles distant. And this 

 bird remained until it was too dark to distinguish it longer. 

 After dark the cat caught a shrike (L cristatus) and later 

 I heard several more shrikes call as they settled on the 

 rigging. 



August 27th. — At anchor 2-6 miles North of Kaishan 

 Island, wind S.E. (3); fair weather. The ship reached this 

 anchorage soon after daylight and remained here until the 

 7th September. To-day I have only seen one common gull 

 (L canus) and a pair of Swinhoe's petrel. Large and small 

 varieties of dragon flies have been abundant, and several 

 species of flies; a few moths were seen towards sunset. 



August 28th. — No birds seen all day. But numbers of 

 dragon flies and various insects, particularly when nearing 

 sunset. 



August 29th. — Wind N.E. (4); overcast and showery. A 

 pair of white rumped swifts (S pacincus) hawking for flies 

 close by — but flies were scarce on board all day. Three 

 gulls were seen, all different, one (L canus), and one with the 

 heavy crow-like flight, a larger bird than the other two, 



