At Sea — on the Steamer "Madiana 11 
1894. 
February 19 
Kittiwake 
and 
Herring 
Gulls 
Absence of 
Procellariidae 
Temperature 
Noon observation -- Lat. 33.22; Long. 69.02. 
11 A. M. The wind and sea went down during the 
night and now it is comparatively calm and the ship is 
moving steadily on with only a gentle roll now and then. 
The surface of the water is pale, grayish lead color with 
here and there a white cap flashing and disappearing. In 
our wake, where the screw has churned the water, it is of 
the same pale indigo color noted yesterday. Every now and 
then we pass a fragment of the brownish yellow gulf-weed. 
I did not see any yesterday. The sun came out an hour ago 
but the sky has clouded over again. 
At 8 A. M. three Gulls came together to the steamer 
from the eastward and followed her for a few minutes, then 
dropped out of sight astern. One was a young Kittiwake, 
the other two dark-colored birds apparently as large as 
Larus smithsonianus and I think the young of that species. 
We are now rather more than 400 miles south-east of New 
York and about 300 miles from land, a little below the 
latitude of Cape Hatteras. 
It is interesting to note the entire absence of 
Procellariidae . Thus far I have not seen one, large or 
small. This affords pretty strong negative evidence that 
they do not occur in these waters in midwinter. 
Since yesterday noon the ?/eather has been suffi¬ 
ciently warm to make an overcoat superfluous, even in the 
wind on deck. The air is moist and enervating. Florida 
weatherI 
