THE BIRDS OF BERMUDA. 



INTRODUCTION. 



It was with considerable diflfidence, notwithstanding the very flatter- 

 ing nature of tbe invitation sent to me, that I consented to appear a 

 a third time in print on the avi-fauna of the Bermudas, and I trust that 

 a knowledge of this fact may go far to excuse my presumption in rang- 

 ing myself among the learned professors and men of science who con- 

 tribute to this work, and also the numerous short-comings in my par- 

 ticular department. I was puzzled for a long time how to begin my 

 task, finally deciding to present, as a brief history of the Birds of the 

 Bermudas, my original notes j^ublished in the "Field" newspaper in 

 1875, and in the "Zoologist" in 1877, thoroughly revised and brought 

 u\) to date, with the addition of the synonymy and measurements of 

 each species taken from the highest American and European authorities. 



I fear a long introduction will be considered out of i)lace in a work 

 like this, but, as it may possibly prove of interest to any naturalist con- 

 templating a visit to the islands, I have ventured to rewrite a large 

 portion of my original j)reface, as follows : 



In March, 1874, when ordered to the Bermudas to complete my tour 

 of foreign service, I made diligent and most anxious inquiries about the 

 birds likely to be found there, and I must say the answers I got from 

 brother officers and others who were familiar with the islands were any- 

 thing but satisfactory in an ornithological point of view. I was informed 

 that birds were few and far between, with the exception of one or two 

 common resident species, and a casual flock of plovers or waders in the 

 autumn mouths. My ardor cooled to zero abruptly. I looked forward 

 to the red, blue, black, and white birds of my informants, and the un- 

 certain and erratic Plover, with a sigh of despair! Should I take a gun 

 at all, to lie idle in the damp corrosive climate to which I was bound? 



However, on board the good ship Severn — a hired transi)ort, which 

 conveyed the company of Eoyal Engineers, to which I then belonged, 

 across the Atlantic — I found some officers of H. M. Fifty-third Regiment 



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