24 THE BIRDS OF THE BERMUDAS. 
the winter months, generally on the highest part of the islands, 
near the lighthouse. One in Mr. Bartram’s collection was caught 
alive at Mount Langton a few years ago. This bird did not, to my 
knowledge, visit Bermuda during the year 1874-5. 
Brachyotus palustris, Short-eared Owl.-—Not so frequent a visitor 
as the preceding; but, like it, appearing in the autumn and winter 
months, and usually seen on the south side, near the lighthouse. 
The attraction presented by that part of the islands would appear 
to consist of a plentiful supply of mice, which inhabit the sandy 
scrub-covered hills near the shore.* Mr. Bartram has two speci- 
meus of this Owl, and I obtained two myself during my stay—one 
at the Sand Hills, and another in Warwick Swamp. 
Syrnium nebuilosum, Barred Owl.—Mr. Hurdis observed one of 
these birds on the 2nd April, 1851. 
Nyctea nivea, Snowy Owl.—Major Wedderburn observes (Nat. in 
B., p. 25) -—“ Lieut, Fayrer, R.N., shot two specimen’s at Boss’s 
Cove in the autumn of 1843. Another, a fine female specimen, was 
shot by a person named Llewellyn, at Ireland Island, on the 29th 
November, 1853: this bird was only wounded, and when examined 
by Mr. Hurdis, on the 13th December following, appeared lively 
and well. When being fed, it frequently erected a little tuft of 
feathers on each side of the head, so as to resemble small horns.’’ 
No other examples are recorded. [Two frequented the islands in 
the autumn of 1875. One of these was shot by Lieut. Tallents, 
20th Regiment; the other escaped, though it remained two months 
or more.—H. D. 
Surnia ulula, var. Hudsonied, Hawk Owl.—A single specimen was 
‘*seen by Col. Drummond at St. George’s, quite close to him, on 
a Sunday afternoon, otherwise it would have been shot”? (Nat. in 
B., p. 55). 
Nyectale acadica, Acadian Owl; Saw-whet.—A rare stragegler. 
Major Wedderburn’s notes contain all the information we possess. 
He says (Nat. in B., p. 25):—‘‘ Only one specimen, found on the 
12th January, 1849, sitting inside the muzzle of one of the guns at 
Ireland Island by an artilleryman. It is to be hoped that the said 
gunner has more nerve when working a gun than he displayed on 
finding the little bird, being afraid to catch it, as he said ‘it 
glow’red at him.’ It was caught by a man of the 42nd, and lived 
in my room for several days, getting quite tame. At night it 
always became restless, and finally killed itself against the wires of 
the cage. Mr. Harry Tucker saw another some short time after- 
wards, in a cave on the south shore.”’ 
Circus cyaneus, var. Hudsonius, American Marsh Hawk.—Whether 
this bird be a good species, or merely a climatic sub-species, race, 
or variety, I am at a loss to understand, so conflicting are the 
opinions of naturalists on the question. I have, however, Dr. 
Coues’s authority for the name above assigned to it, which 
* IT saw many of these little quadrupeds, but never succeeded in 
capturing one, to my great regret, as I fancy they differed from 
the ordinary Mus musculus, 
