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IIIGBATION NOTES FROM A PASSENGEE STEAMER. 

 By Hugh Whistler. 



On April 25th this year I sailed for England from Karachi 

 in one of the passenger steamers belonging to the City Line, and 

 during the voyage kept notes of all birds seen ; as many of these 

 'were land-birds on migration, it may be of interest to place on 

 record the ornithological diary of the voyage. 



April 25th. — Embarked at Karachi, and started during the 

 afternoon ; in the harbour were many Brown-headed Gulls 

 (Larus hrunneicephalus) and a few Black-backed Gulls (Larus 

 affinis) ; a single individual of the Sooty Gull (L. hemprichii) 

 was also noted ; a few other birds seen were perhaps Terns. 



April IQth. — Land visible in the distance during the greater 

 part of the day. A single Swallow (Hirando rustica) appeared 

 and accompanied the ship for some time. A few Tropic birds 

 "were probably Pliaethon flavirostris ; a species of Tern were 

 noted, with black cap and bill and upper parts ; this I presume to 

 liave been the Sooty Tern (Sterna fuliginosa) .* A female Bose- 

 ringed Parroquet (Palceornis torquatus) flew about round the ship 

 for a time, but this perhaps had escaped from one of the many 

 cages in which Lascars were taking Parroquets to England 

 for sale. 



April 27th. — Entered Bombay Harbour about 2 p.m. ; no 

 birds were seen until we entered the harbour, where Lanes 

 hrunneicephalus was found to be numerous ; a few had already 

 assumed the chocolate mask. 



* No doubt ; it was a very familiar species on the voyage to and from 

 India in our own experience. [Ed.] 



