A. E. Vervrilli— The Bermuda Islands. 665 
parrat is a finne bird, and yellow upon the head and necke*—she 
desyres my Lady to accept it in as good part as she in all love and 
duty doth tender the same.” 
Although it is not definitely stated that these were native Ber- 
muda birds, the manner in which they are described would rather 
imply that they were so regarded. It is, indeed, quite possible that 
some species of parroquet did breed there at that time. An aged 
citizen told me that he once saw a pair of green birds fly out from a 
hole in a South shore cliff, where they seemed to have a nest. 
According to his account they looked much like parrots. Of course, 
it is also possible that parrots escaped from cages or liberated from 
vessels may have bred here, without becoming permanent residents. 
Governor Butler, in his Historye of the Bermudaes (pp. 3, 4, 5), 
gives the following account of the native birds: “ Neither hath the 
ayre for her part bin wantinge with due supplies of many sortes of 
foules ; as the graye and greene plover ; some ducks, and mallards, 
red-pshancks [red-shanks], sea-wigeons, graye bitturnes, cormorants, 
the white and graye herne, great store of sparrowes and robins 
(which have lately bin destroyed by the cats), woodpeckers, very 
many crowest (who for a while overboldly wonderinge at the newe 
sight of man) many of them findinge the cost of their curiositie, the 
rest are now flowne away and seldom seene, only some few are 
sometimes found in the most solitary partes from whence, notwith- 
standinge, they are generally observed to take their flight to se, 
about the sunnes settinge, allwayes directinge their course to the 
north-west ; whence many (not improbably) conjecture that some 
unknowen iland lieth out: that waye; nott farr of here are also, 
sometimes of the yeare, faulcons, and farfaulcons, osprayes, and a 
smale kind of hawke, in shape and plume like a sparrow-hawke, but 
larger winged, and hoofers for her praye, like a caystrell,{ but thes 
being but seldome found, are (justly) thought to be only passengers. 
But above all thes, most deserving observation and respect are thoes 
two sortes of birdes the one (from the tune of his voice), the other 
(from the effect) called the cahowe and egge-bird.” 
* This peculiarity of a yellow head and neck would indicate that these birds 
were Carolina parroquets (Conwrus Carolinensis), or a closely related extinct 
species. This is the only existing American species having that character 
strongly marked. 
+ This must have been the American Crow (Corvus Americanus), or the Fish 
Crow (C. ossifraga Wils.). Perhaps both were native here. 
}{ Probably the American Pigeon Hawk, a migrant still. 
