THE OSPREY. 



An 1 1 lustra terl .Via gamine of Popular Ornithology. 



Published |Vlonthlv. 



VilI.FMK V. 



JUNE, 1901 



NUi MBER 6. 



Original Articles. 



NOTES ON THE BIRDS ( )F THE BERMUDAS WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW 

 SUBSPECIES AND SEVERAL ADDITIONS TO THE FAUNA. 



By A. Hi \ 1 1 Verrii.i,. 



Situated as the Bermudas are. at a considera- 

 ble distance from either America or Europe, and 



well to the eastward of the Gulf Stream, it is 

 not at all surprising' that comparatively few of 

 our migratory birds visit the little mid-ocean 

 land. In fact, the number of species recorded 

 (about 200) is rather remarkable, and especially 



BERMO 



m.ri.i;ii,'i 



noteworthy is the fact that several of them, as 

 for instance Sabine's Gull, should have reached 

 a small island far south of their continental 

 range. Of course many of the species which 

 have been observed but once were doubtless 

 driven thither by storms and gales, while in 

 other cases the identification is doubtful and 

 leaves much to be desired. Another strange 



fact in regard to the Iiermudiau avifauna is the 

 apparent absence of any species peculiar to the 

 island and. so far as I can learn, the Bermudas 

 can claim the distinction of being the only trop- 

 ical or neotropical islands of like size and lying' 

 at any great distance from the mainland which 

 do not possess distinct and indigenous species. 

 To he sure, the supposedly extinct "Cahow" 

 was very probably an unknown species, but 

 there is every reason to suppose that, like most 

 sea-birds, it wandered over a considerable por- 

 tion of the Atlantic and very probably bred in 

 small isolated colonies elsewhere.* So also, Mr. 

 Saville G. Reid speaks of seeing on several 

 occasions a 'small mouse-colored bird" in the 

 marshes. No specimen was obtained, however, 

 .mil there is nothing to prove that it was not 

 some common American species, — probably one 

 of the marsh-wrens. 



The most striking- bird of the Bermudas is the 

 Yellow-billed Tropic bird. {Phaeton americanus); 

 or "Long" Tail" of the natives. These beautiful 

 creatures arrive about March 25th and within a 

 few days become exceedingly abundant. As 

 many as 300 can frequently be seen at onetime, 

 living about the cliffs or skimming the surface of 

 tin wonderfully colored water, the reflection from 

 which causes their breasts to appear the most 

 lovely and delicate sea-green. They are very 

 tame and unsuspicious, flying close to moving 

 boats and breeding everywhere, often within a 

 few yards of houses or settlements. Their 

 power of flight is remarkable, especially as they 

 do not sail, but flap their wings rapidly and ap- 

 parently with considerable effort. They are 

 often observed more than 1(10 miles out at sea, 

 and even mate while on the wing. The value 

 of properly enforced bird protection is nowhere 

 better exemplified than in the case of this 

 bird. A few years ago the Tropic-birds were 

 threatened with extinction from the Bermudas, 

 whereas, since the passing of strict laws, pro- 



*The Callow, abundant when the islands were Hist settled. 1012-1620 was certainly not a shearwater.— A. E. V. 



