TEE STORY OF THE CAIIOW. 25 



bignesse, that they are not to be knowne from these egges. The other birds 

 egges are speckled and of a different colour." 



In a letter written from the 'Summer Islands/ Dec., 1614, by the 

 Rev. Lewis Hughes, the following account of the cahow occurs : 



"Here is also plenty of sea foules, at one time of the yea,re, as about the 

 middle of October, Birds which we call cahouze and Pimlicoes come in. The 

 Cahouze continue til the beginning of June in great abundance, they are bigger 

 bodied than a Pigeon & of a very firm & good flesh. They are taken with ease 

 if one do but sit downe in a darke night, and make a noise, there will more 

 come to him then he shall be able to kill: some have told me that the^ have 

 taken twelve or fourteen dozen in an hower. When the Cahouze time is out, 

 other birds called noddies and sandie birds come in, and continue till the latter 

 end of August." 



This is the only account that gives the time of its arrival and 

 departure. 



The following extract is from Governor Butler's 'Historye,' written 

 about 1619 : 



"For the cahowe (for so soundes his voice), it is a night bird, and all 

 the daye long lies liidd in holes of the rocks, whence both themselves and their 

 young are in great numbers extracted with ease, and prove (especially the 

 young) so pleaseinge in a dish, as ashamed I am to tell, how many dosen of 

 them have been devoured by some one of our northern stomacks, even at one 

 only meale." 



This is the only original statement that I find, among the early 

 writings, that it lives in holes of rocks. It is possible, however, that it 

 lived in all available holes, either in those made in the soil by the 

 abundant land crabs or those found among rocks. It may not have 

 made its own burrows, when other holes were available. Captain John 

 Smith's account was compiled from those given above. He did not 

 visit Bermuda. 



There are several references to this bird in the local laws of Ber- 

 muda. Even so early as 1616 a law was passed restricting the taking 

 of the bird and its eggs, because of the rapid decrease in its numbers. 



It is thus referred to in Governor Butler's 'Historye.' 



"In the same moneth he held his second generall Assize at St. George's, as 

 irregularly as the first, wherin not any matter of note was handled, only a 

 proclamation (or rather article, as it was then tearmed) was published (but 

 overlate) against the spoyle and havock of the cahowes, and other birds, which 

 already wer almost all of them killed and scared awaye very improvidently by 

 fire, diggeinge, stoneinge, and all kinds of murtheringes." 



Among the laws enacted by the Bermuda Company, 1621-32, was 

 the following: 



"The Governour, and other officers, shall take care for the preservation of 

 the breed of Birds, by reser\dng to them those Hands whereunto they resort." 



This doubtless refers to the egg-birds as well as to the cahow. It 

 seems to have been almost or quite forgotten for over 200 years. In 



