74 



THE MUSEUM. 



to blaze with intense color from the 

 depth of the sombre foliage of the 

 cedars. His spouse is far more sober 

 in her attire; but they say here that 

 she, too, puts on nuptial attire and 

 looks uncommonly smart in April and 

 May, when she acquires on unusually 

 vivid blue and much suffusion of red- 

 dish brown about the head. 



The water thrush is one of the com- 

 monest, yet most interesting, of autum- 

 nal visitors. It appears regularly early 

 in'^October, and a few remain all win- 

 ter. Throughout the early winter 

 there is hardly a mangrove swamp, 

 great or small, whence its sharp but 

 musical "chip" may not be heard at 

 any time during the day. Early in the 

 morning, especially when the ebbing 

 tide has left bare the strange, tangled 

 roots of the mangroves and their mud- 

 dy surroundings, it is comparatively 

 easy to approach this wary little bird; 

 but latter in the day it requires great 

 caution and a certain amount of activ- 

 ity to acquire a specimen. These 

 birds wag their tails as they feed on 

 the edges of the tidal pools and flit 

 from root to root, uttering at times 

 their loud, monotonous cry. 



The white-eyed vireo is one of the 

 smallest and one of the commonest 

 resident Bermuda birds, familiar to all 

 through its sprightly ways, loud song 

 and astounding impudence. The other 

 day while I was walking in the road, 

 one ht on my shoulder and fell to my 

 feet. I picked it up and thought it 

 was hurt, but the saucy little thing bit 

 my finger and flew out of my hand at 

 a lively rate. A passing colored man 

 told me that it was locally called the 

 "chick-of-the-village," or "chick-choo- 

 willi," from its note. This variety- 

 asks for "ginger-beer-quick," a call 



very much adapted to the climate of 

 Bermuda. 



Of the American crossbill. Major 

 Wedderburn says: "A specimen of 

 this bird was captured in the dockyard 

 at Ireland Island, and grew quite tame 

 and lived for several days in my room, 

 but poisoned itself by eating part of a 

 composite candle, which it had cut 

 nearly in half with its strong bill dur- 

 ing the night." 



Some few years ago a number of 

 European sparrows were imported into 

 tlie islands from New York, and they 

 have rapidly increased in numbers. 

 About a dozen of them have taken up 

 their abode in an outhouse near the 

 Princess Hotel, but I give them credit 

 for locating in a very pretty spot. 

 However, many natives have question- 

 ed the propriety of introducing these 

 quarrelsome birds into the aristocratic 

 society of the brilliant blue and red 

 birds. 



The cardinal red-bird is a well-known 

 and abundant resident of Bermuda, 

 everywhere conspicuous by its brilliant 

 plumage and loud but not unmusical 

 song. This bird is a general favorite 

 with all classes, and is in great esteem 

 as a cage bird. Red birds breed twice 

 a year in Bermuda. Their nest is 

 bulky, built of twigs and roots, and 

 lined with dry grasses. The sight of 

 the red-bird is a great treat, and will 

 ever be associated in my memory with 

 the bright sun, white houses, dark 

 cedars and fragrant sage-bushes of Ber- 

 muda. The red-bird is said to change 

 its notes with the season, in winter the 

 call being "way-too," and in the spring 

 "too-too." In spite of his strength 

 the red-bird allows himself to be igno- 

 miniously driven from his nest by the 

 smaller blue-bird. 



