SOME NOTES ON LAND-BIRDS 25 



I identified a shrike; my boy caught a pintailed snipe (G 

 stenura) in poor condition, and exhausted. Several swifts 

 were seen — and petrel, always too far away to describe — 

 excepting generally of a blackish colour. I see an occasional 

 black plumaged gull immature from size, appearance and 

 flight remainded me of a skua. I think however, that this 

 must be a black-backed gull, I cannot recollect having met 

 with this species before. This afternoon a great number of 

 land-birds came on board, amongst which were many finches, 

 I think, and a small kingfisher, and though the cat caught 

 several, they were all too mutilated before I saw them. 

 I heard land-birds calling as they flew past up to 9 p.m. 

 And in my room were many mosquitoes, but on the lower 

 deck none. 



September 6th. — A moderate N.E. (4) wind and fine, 

 the rain having cleared away at last. Several gulls — im- 

 mature — sooty brown, but not as dark as the gull seen 

 yesterday. Still, as these are about the same size, I think 

 they are all the same species. A few petrel feeding, just 

 astern, colour sooty black, tail straight. Several small 

 land-birds have been on board all day, but left towards sun- 

 set. And I saw one swallow. After dark I heard land-birds 

 calling occasionally as they flew past or round the ship, and 

 some I think came to rest. Attracted by the ship's lights 

 most probably. 



September 7th. — Light easterly airs and fine. Now 

 and again I see a land-bird, mostly some kind of finch. 

 Locusts came on board during the night, and moths, beetles 

 and a bee or two since sunrise. An immature gull, general 

 colour brown, bill horn colour, and a few Swinhoe's petrels. 

 We sailed to-day for the Yangtse and the few birds that 

 were seen to-day, very shortly left us, as we got under weigh. 



September 8th. — At daybreak. Lat. 34-00' N., Long. 

 122-45' E. Calm and a dense fog. Many land -birds seen 

 round the ship or resting on board, amongst which I noticed 

 a woodcock and a few shrikes. Also a kingfisher rather 

 larger than A bengalensis, so far as I could see, it being 

 very foggy. It had a black cap, whitish breast and green 

 back, but the light was too bad to distinguish further 

 features. We passed through a considerable amount of weed 

 this forenoon, probably some, if not most, is gulf weed. At 

 9.30 the fog lifted, when all the land-birds immediately left. 

 No sea birds in view. Noon Lat. 33-23' N., Long. 122-46' E. 

 Moderate southerly winds and hazy. Nothing further was. 

 seen until sunset. When four swallows in a bunch, flew 

 in from sea and passed going to the S.W. 



