BIRDS OF BERMUDA. 25 1 



" Two (lays afterwards I met Stone, the town constable, who was in 

 pursuit of the tall white bird when I fired at it, and, from being con- 

 cealed among the mangroves, had a fair opportunity of observing its 

 form and appearance, who confidentlj' asserted that it was * no Heron.' 

 He described the bird as brownish-white in plumage with a very long 

 neck, equally long legs, and a peculiar bill something like a parrot's. 

 Eeferring to Wilson's print of the Wood Ibis {Tantalus loculator)^ he 

 at once said it was too long in the bill and too heavy in the formation 

 of the neck and body for the bird he saw. His eye then caught sight 

 of Wilson's figure of the Flamingo, which he said was precisely the 

 shape and make of the bird in question, and the form of the bill ex- 

 actly similar. Now, the only part of the tall stranger concealed from 

 my observation was the head; I have therefore no doubt whatever, 

 judging from Stone's testimony, and from what I observed myself, that 

 this bird was a Flamingo in the immature greyish- white plumage of the 

 first year. Stone informed me that he followed this Flamingo to Pen- 

 iston's Pond, distant about two miles, where he shot at it without suc- 

 cess. As the bird was not met with afterwards it no doubt took it& 

 departure from the Bermudas." 



Family ANATID^. 

 Sub-family CYGNIN^. 

 Genus Cygnus, Linn. 

 139. Cygnus americanus, Sharpless. American or Whistling Swan. 



Cygnus musicits, Bp., Linsl. 



Cygnus hetvicJcH, Sw. & Rich., Nutt. 



Cygnus ferus, Nutt. 



Cygnus americanus, Sharpless, Aud., Gir., Coop. & Suck., Bd,, Coues & Prent., 



Coues, Lawr., and authors generally. 

 Olor americanus, Bp. 



Length, 55; wing, 22.00; tarsus, 4.25. 



Hah. — Continent of North America ; breeding only in the far north ;: 

 wintering in United States. (Coues.) 



One was shot in White's Marsh, near Hamilton, in 1835 or 1836, as 

 related to Mr. Hurdis by credible witnesses in 1850. It was observed m 

 the marsh for three or four days before it was obtained (by a man named 

 Dunscomb), and was by no means shy or difficult of approach. It was 

 sold, as might have been expected, as an article of food, and realized 

 the sum of $3. (Hurdis.) 



