BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 33 



and showed such evident signs of anxiety that I was certain that 

 their eggs could not be far off; but although we searched diligently 

 for them, w^e were unable to find a single egg. Meanwhile, the 

 Plovers had been flying about us, uttering short, sharp notes of 

 distress, but, upon our moving away, they immediately ceased their 

 lamentations, and became as Cjuiet as possible, evidently satisfied 

 that we had given up the search. While walking through the short 

 marsh -grass, a Dove suddenly started up from almost under my 

 feet, which I recognized as the little Ground Dove (C. passerind) ; 

 but, to be positive, I shot the bird, and then commenced a careful 

 search for the nest, and was lucky enough to find it without any 

 trouble. It was simply a little mat of sticks, on which were deposited 

 two beautiful little white eggs, which were quite fresh. 



Yellow-crowned Night Herons (A'', violacca) were very abundant ; 

 we must have started over a hundred of them during our circuit 

 of the island, and I was enabled to procure a number of their rare 

 eggs, sometimes finding two or three nests on the same bush. 



We found Terns more abundant on this island than anywhere 

 else in the Bahamas, and as it is an unfrequented spot, they are 

 so tame as to often allow themselves to be taken from the nest 

 without offering to fly. .Several of the men whom I sent on shore 

 brought back a number of the birds alive, and several basketsful of 

 eggs, mostly those of Terns and Night Herons. Some of them 

 were cracked, and they recjuested me to allow them to have them 

 to eat. If they ate them, as I suppose they did, it was in all proba- 

 bility the most valuable omelet they will ever have set before them, 

 5 



