34 SOME NOTES ON LAND-BIRDS 



shoals of fish appeared numerous ; these shoals were at times 

 greatly disturbed when chased by larger fish or tunny. Some 

 schools of dolphin: and a whale jumped out several times. 

 After rounding the Peninsula, plankton like grains of paddy, 

 a dark straw colour, in very extensive patches at times; at 

 others, the sea being smooth, it could be seen like grains of 

 paddy broadcast to a considerable depth. And as the ship 

 got closer to Tanjong Pakem at the entrance to the narrows 

 terns in flocks were met with, being otherwise busy, I could 

 not afford time to observe these closely, but there appeared- 

 to be two species. Frigate birds and terns were hovering 

 and fishing together. And I saw another sea bird more like 

 a puffin having short and pointed wings, with a rapid flight 

 full of twists and turns, of these I saw only six all in one 

 flock. At the Northern Entrance to Bali Strait a swallow 

 was hawking over the ship, insects being plentiful and 

 various kinds of butterflies, some of which were a yellowish 

 white all over. Between Bali and Sapudi Straits. At 

 night phosphorescent light was seen at a considerable depth, 

 none however close to the surface. 



December 23rd.— Lat. 5-58' S., Long. 115-10' E. Wind 

 N.N.E. (3); very fine. The cat caught some kind of rail at 

 daylight and though cruelly mauled I was able to note its 

 features generally. Colour — a light brown with darker bars 

 on belly and legs, a dark cap and a lighter streak over the 

 eyes; bill, upper olive brown, under greenish yellow; eyes 

 and tail destroyed; legs olive green; claws brownish. 

 During the day we passed many pieces of timber, tree tops 

 and leaves. Frigate birds were often seen at rest on the 

 pieces of wood. And some flying fish were seen, these were 

 all the smaller kind and not so dark as those seen on the 

 South Coast of Java. Common house flies plentiful all day 

 and towards sunset when fully 30 miles distant from Mata 

 Siri quite a lot of dragon flies and a few moths appeared. 



December 24th. — At 11 a.m. Lari Larian Coral Beef 

 N. 56' W. 2J miles. Wind N.W. (3), very fine and clear; sea 

 smooth. As soon as daylight came in frigate birds and 

 flocks of a large species of tern were seen together, 

 chasing the shoals of fish, of which there seemed to be 

 plenty. Large flocks of boobies with over a hundred birds 

 in a flock, these also chasing shoals of fish but never in 

 company with other birds. A school of some kind of whale, 

 somewhat like a grampus, but passing at too great a distance 

 I was unable to make these out distinctly. There are two 

 kinds of boobies, those seen earlier were a larger bird than 

 the small brown booby which last is seen occasionally. 

 Several moths in the early morning. Plankton present in 



