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APPENDIX. 
short flights at its prey : this bird even alighted on our shoulders, and 
picked flies off our clothes. 
“ Two or three hoopoes ( TJpupa Epops) came on board, rested for 
a short time, and proceeded on their flight ; a turtle dove ( Columba 
Turtur) did the same. 
“A flock consisting of twelve ibises ( Ibis falcinellus , Temm.) seen 
first at a distance coming from the south-west, flew close past the 
vessel, and continued directly in the same course, or towards the north- 
east, until lost to view. 
“ April 25. — Wind N.E., 58 miles from Calabria, the nearest land : 
185 miles from Mount Etna at sunset, when it was visible. A scops- 
eared owl ( Strix Scops ) was knocked down and captured just as he 
had clutched a lesser whitethroat ( Sylvia Curruca ), of which species 
two or three individuals came on board. A shrike ( Lanins ), 
which from the height it generally kept at I could not see well enough 
to distinguish its species, seized a Sylvia Trochilus , all of which it 
ate except the bill : of the latter species, one taken by ourselves met 
with better treatment, and, perching quietly on the finger, was so 
carried about to feed on flies, which it seized when within reach, 
never leaving the hand if the fly could possibly be captured from it. 
A female golden oriole ( Oriolus Galbula ), a redstart ( Phcenicura 
ruticilla ), and a lark (Alauda ), of what species I could not be 
certain, came on board — the redstart was caught. Several of the 
Hirundo rustica about the ship. A wryneck (Yunx torqidlla ) was 
captured, and on being taken within reach of flies, at once picked them 
up.* When turning about its neck in the manner peculiar to the 
species, this bird was compared by some of the officers to a particular 
species of snake found in Greece, which, like it, has a dark band on 
the head and neck. 
“ Two or three of the TJpupa Epops and a Columba Turtur flew 
on board, but did not remain long. e Large and small hawks 5 were 
reported to me as seen about the ship ; but the goatsucker and 
cuckoo might, from their general appearance and mode of flight, be not 
improbably looked upon as c small hawks.’ 
“ April 26. — Wind N.E., 86 miles from Zante, the nearest land : 
<« * r [>be birds which, in addition to the wryneck, fed freely on flies, when held in 
the hand within reach of them immediately after capture, were Sylvia Trochilus , 
Motacilla neglecta, Hirundo rustica , and Hirundo urbica. 
