16 THE BIRDS OF THE BERMUDAS. 
Wedderburn says :—‘‘ A specimen of this bird was captured in the 
dockyard at Ireland Island, January 20th, 1850, and got 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 during the night. I shot three specimens 
near Mr. Ewing’s house, April 5th, 1850, and saw a small flock on 
several occasions near Pitt’s Bay, but they were so shy I could not 
get near them. ‘They disappeared early in May.’’ Mr. Bartram 
has several specimens. On November 17th, 1874, three were 
observed on some cedar trees at Prospect Camp. Two males were 
shot among some sage bushes, near the shore at Warwick, by 
Gibbs, on the 25th of that month; and another male was obtained 
at Prospect about the same time. These may have been the trio 
originally seen. The stomachs of the two Warwick birds were 
crammed with small green caterpillars, and contained no trace of — 
seeds. The insectivorous nature of the Crossbill is not mentioned 
by Wilson; it is alluded to by Dr. Saxby in the ‘‘ Birds of Shet- 
land.’’ ‘This species must visit Bermuda both going and returning. 
Curvirostra leucoptera, White-winged Crossbill.—A less frequent 
visitor than the preceding, on its northward journey only. A fine 
male was killed on May 11th, 1852, by a boy who had another in 
his possession; date unknown. An officer of the 56th Regiment 
shot one, a female, at Somerset, in March, 1852. Mr. Bartram has 
obtained a pair, male and female. This bird has occurred several 
times in Great Britain, and it is somewhat remarkable that the 
preceding species, C. americana, has not yet paid us a visit. I 
expect it will find its way across the Atlantic some day, and share 
the fate of every unfortunate straggler to our inhospitable shores. 
Migiothus linariws, Redpoll Linnet.—Only recorded previously in 
1847 and 1850. Two were obtained, February 8th and October 
llth, in the former year. In March, 1850, flocks of this bird 
appeared in the neighbourhood of St. George’s, and several speci- 
mens were obtained there and elsewhere throughout the islands. 
A goodly number visited the islands in small flocks in January, 
1875: these were very tame at first, but soon became shy. Speci- 
mens were obtained during the month at all parts of the islands. 
Chrysomitris pinus, Pipe, Linnet.—T'wo specimens in Mr. Bar- 
tram’s collection are the only ones on record. They were obtained 
near Stocks Point. 
Plectrophanes nivalis, Snow Bunting.—This is a pretty constant 
visitor, seldom failing to make its appearance, in large or small 
numbers, in December or January. They were particularly 
numerous in 1850. J am credibly informed that of late years they 
have been seen in considerable numbers feeding on the parade 
ground and round about the stables, like sparrows, at Prospect 
Camp. One was seen there in December, 1874. Three, of which 
I procured one, frequented the Walsingham end of the Causeway 
in January, 1875. Others were seen at St. George’s and elsewhere 
about the same time. This bird has not appeared in-spring. 
Passerculus savanna, Savannah Sparrow.-—Only two on record. 
Major Wedderburn killed one in Pembroke Marsh, April 11th, 
1850; I shot one at Shelly Bay Marsh on January 29th, 1875, 
