32 SOME NOTES ON LAND-BIRDS 



North and South Natuna Islands I saw a tern, a large bird, 

 head and neck white but spotted with French grey spots, 

 belly white, wings white with brownish tips. This evening 

 a booby, brown head neck and upper parts, white under, 

 bill light yellow, feet greenish, possibly (S leucogastra). This 

 bird tried to rest on board but there was too much wind for 

 comfort; these few birds have been the only ones seen since 

 our departure from Saigon. 



December 3rd.— Lat. 0-46' N., Long. 108-13' E. Wind 

 northerly (4), overcast with heavy rain squalls at times. Ap- 

 proaching Direction Island a few boobies (S leucogastra) 

 following shoals of fish. I saw a small shoal of dolphin, 

 only the back and dorsal fins seen — colour a deep black, 

 and this evening I saw a frigate bird. (F equila) soaring 

 round the ship. It is always a pleasure to watch these birds 

 flying, there being no other bird in my opinion that can 

 equal the flight of a frigate bird. 



December 4th. — At anchor 2 miles north of Serutu 

 Island in Carimata Straits. Fog and torrential rains, variable 

 wind from north. Several moths were seen, also a few 

 pairs of paddy birds (brownish olive colour). These last 

 flying towards the Island : but when the rain came on, they 

 flew round the ship. Boobies (S leucogastra) also seen 

 occasionally; owing to the rain the birds had to pass very 

 close to be seen at all. Plankton present also gulf weed 

 and other sea weed, pieces of wood covered with barnacles 

 also floate past, the current setting E.S.E. ^ to f knot per 

 hour. A sample of the bottom which I got off the anchor 

 when it was weighed was a stiff blue mud, containing shells 

 whole and in fragments, pieces of coral and sand. One 

 solitary frigate bird sailed round the ship, coming quite 

 close at times — a beautiful and interesting sight. 



December 5th.— Lat. 4-32' S., Long. 108-28' E. Wind 

 west (3), continuous rain all day. All day nothing was seen 

 excepting a few pieces of gulf weed and some plankton. 

 This evening I caught a moth in my room. 



December 6th.— Lat. 5-52' S., Long. 106-51' E. Similiar 

 weather; westerly wind and continuous rain. Several frigate 

 birds were seen and these accompanied the ship all day. 

 A large tern, black cap and French grey wings, and several 

 moths were seen to fly past. A land bird, possibly some 

 kind of finch also flew past chirping loudlv, and a sea bird 

 brownish black, like some small tern. These were flvmg 

 low over the sea looking for food; owing to the rain I 

 con Id not use binoculars, consequently I could not get 

 sufficient details to identify any of the birds. Gulf weed 

 and plankton, stems of old banana trees, palm leaves and 



