Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/495

Rh from the shores of Great Britain or Ireland, or some other land, our course across the Atlantic being made between the fifty-sixth and fifty-third parallels, or in about the latitude between Edinburgh and Dublin.

October 14th, 1876, about 300 miles S.W. of Cape Farewell and midway between Greenland and Labrador; wind N. by W. Fulmars in abundance, several small land birds flying about the ship. Amongst them I recognized Redpolls and Snow Buntings. During the afternoon a Short-eared Owl, Asio accipitrinus, lit on the rigging; then it flew several times round the ship, alighting with outspread wings on the water under the lee of the vessel, rested for a minute, and then rose again and flew off. This Owl is possessed of great powers of flight, and a passage from Greenland to the shores of the American continent must be a matter of small moment to it.

October 16th, 1684 miles from Portsmouth. Kittiwakes numerous around the ship, also Fulmars.

October 18th, 1088 miles from Cape Clear. A few Fulmars and some seven or eight Kittiwakes about the ship. Lieutenant Egerton, when on watch, saw a single Little Auk, the only one observed by us whilst crossing the Atlantic.

October 19th, 965 miles from Cape Clear; wind S. Kittiwakes numerous, the majority in immature plumage; a single Puffinus major following the ship.

October 20th; blowing a full gale from S.W. During the height of the storm Fulmars, Greater Shearwaters and Kittiwakes remained by the ship.

October 21st, 716 miles from Cape Clear. At mid-day Fulmars, Greater Shearwaters and Kittiwakes in attendance.

October 23rd; distance to Cape Clear 617 miles; wind changed to S.E. A Starling lit on the rigging, rested a few minutes, and then flew away to leeward. A Sanderling passed the ship in the same direction, also several small land birds. These had all evidently been blown out of their course by the south-east gale. Storm Petrel noticed for first time since leaving the ice. At noon our latitude was 53° 59', and during the day the Fulmars which had attended us from Davis Strait left. It will be a curious fact in connection with the southward range of this species in the Atlantic if it can be shown that it does not pass south of the fifty-third parallel. In 1875, when bound for Greenland, on June 6th, we