SOME NOTES ON LAND-BIRDS 35 



the form of long streaky patches, very like paddy in form 

 and colour, extending N.E. and S.W., and occasional pieces 

 of gulf weed, nuts and seeds and pieces of trees float by. 

 When about 12 miles to the eastward of the Keef but few 

 birds. Most of the birds had left and few were seen after 

 this. At davlight I saw one or two flying fish. 



December 25th.— Lat. 0-51' S., Long. 118-50' E. Light 

 westerly winds showery at first, later overcast but fine. A 

 swallow remains on board all day, taking short flights 

 occasionally, twice I caught it in my room, so far as I know 

 it escaped the cats and flew away as night came on. The 

 land near Cape Meng Kalibat being in sight : in the distance 

 I saw a large flock of booby following shoals of fish. 

 Plankton present throughout the day, and on the edge of a 

 tidal current large patches of gulf weed, trees, and leaves,, 

 etc. On many of the pieces of drift wood I saw a species 

 of tern, plumage a dark leaden colour, with black tips to 

 its wings, usually they flew off as the ship got close. At 

 night some phosphorescence. 



December 26th. — Passing 3 miles east of Muaras Reef. 

 Light N.W. airs and very fine. Large flocks of a small white 

 tern following shoals of fish. As we passed the shoals, 

 large fish, which appeared to be black in the distance, leaped 

 out now and again. In shape these fish were short and 

 almost oval. Whether these were chasing the flying fish, 

 or merely in company with these in the shoal and were 

 themselves being chased by still larger fish I don't know, 

 but their oval form did not appear suited to fast or rapid 

 movements. I did not however, see any larger fish. A 

 pair of brown booby flew by just before night, at which time 

 flying fish were present in large shoals. To-night the sea 

 was phosphorescent, but not remarkably so, and between 

 8 and 9 p.m. there was a very strong smell of ozone. 



December 27th. — The Approaches to Sebuku Bay. 

 Wind westerly (4) ; very heavy rain earlier but clearing up at 

 10 a.m. Here I saw very many tunny -like fish, very large 

 ones, these frequently leap out, sometimes to re-enter by a 

 good header, at other times they just fell into the water 

 broadside, making a great splash. 



At first but few flying fish to be seen, but when ap- 

 proaching Cowie Bay these became more plentiful, but none 

 were seen in the bay itself. Frigate birds singly or in pairs 

 were common throughout the day, more numerous off Darby 

 Reef. A peculiar thing about the flying fish was that some 

 shoals would be entirely composed of very small fish, other 

 shoals would have full grown only. Large and small fish 

 not being seen mixed in any one shoal. 



