SOME NOTES ON LAND-BIRDS 33 



sticks, passed all day long. Also a few sea-snakes, and as is 

 usual with these reptiles, they were lying any how on the 

 surface, one very large snake was lying belly uppermost 

 with head and tail hanging down at right angles — this was 

 not dead as I at first thought as he put himself the right way 

 up when we passed; and a large fish, like a tunny leapt 

 out of the water several times. 



December 7th. — At anchor in Batavia Roads. Heavy 

 rains. A peculiar beetle came on board at night. A kind 

 of fire-fly — the light being emitted from a cream coloured 

 band on its belly close to the vent. 



December 8th. — Batavia to Tjilatjap — variable winds 

 and squally. When passing Payang Islet, I saw a flock 

 of frigate birds hovering and fishing over a shoal of fish. 

 Shoals of fish plentiful at times. Medusae and plankton 

 present, also, gulf weed and various pieces of wood, leaves 

 and other odds and ends float past. Off St. Nicholas Point 

 I saw a large land-bird somewhat like a swift, plumage a 

 steel blue, a few terns seen here and plenty of pumice in 

 the Straits of Sunda. 



December 9th. — Passing 6 miles South of Genteng Point 

 (on the South Coast of Java). Tropic birds were met with 

 .and were the first seen this trip. These were, the red tailed 

 tropic bird — the general plumage of a roseate tinge — and 

 red tail (P rubricanda). A few large flying fish having two 

 sets of wing-like fins were also noticed for the first time. 

 Generally I think these kind of flying fish, fly more hori- 

 zontally than the smaller species, as the small ones fly at 

 the angle with which they left the water 45 to 60 degrees 

 about. But of course it much depends on the way or angle 

 with which they start into the air. Before sunset being 

 about 3J miles from the coast, a moth and one dragon fly 

 hover round the ship. And a booby was disturbed, this so 

 heavily weighted with fish that it could only fly with 

 difficulty. An occasional piece of gulf weed and pumice seen. 

 There being considerable surface current noticeable. 



December 21st. — Tjilatjap to Hongkong — via Bali 

 Strait, etc. Lat. 8-26' S., Long. 111-16' E. Light easterly 

 airs, very fine. A few frigate birds and tropic birds were 

 seen, but nothing else all day. 



December 22nd. — Approaching Balambangan Peninsula 

 — light easterly airs, very fine and clear, smooth sea. 

 Several frigate birds; occasionally a flying fish jumps out, 

 and I saw a bunch of four duck-like birds flying out to sea, 

 but too distant to be able to identify. At present all life 

 is scarce. However, closing the Peninsula, to haul up for 

 Bali Strait a lot of drift-wood and gulf weed was seen and 



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