BAHAMA BIRDS. 26S 



leave their holes in the daytime, is one of the mysteries of nature, 

 both of them feeding and flying all day, are yet never seen in the 

 vicinity of their breeding places before dark. When anchored 

 in the night-time near one of the keys on which they breed, their 

 mournful note can be heard at all hours of the night. During 

 the day they may be seen feeding in large flocks, generally out 

 of sight of land. They do not fly round much, but remain most 

 of the time quiet upon the surface of the water. I did not see 

 one on the banks, and never saw them dive or apparently catch- 

 ing any fish, though they are often in company with Boobies and, 

 different species of Terns, all of which are actively employed in 

 fishing. About half way from Andros to the Bank, I saw on 

 the 26th of April a flock of Boobies, Sooty Terns, Noddies, 

 Cabot's Terns, and the Dusky Petrel, that covered the surface 

 of the water, or hovered over it for an extent of at least a square 

 mile. Their number must be enormous." The inhabitants 

 call it Pemhlico. 



GREBES. 



St. Domingo Grebe. A pretty little resident, which prefers 

 the dark recesses of the mangrove swamps, and is not uncommon 

 upon Andros and some other islands. 



Mr. Corey states that " the small keys which, during the win- 

 ter present a desolate appearance, in the summer season teem 

 with bird life; thousands of Terns of different species repair to 

 these deserted spots to breed, and their eggs might be gathered 

 by the barrelful, as the rocks and sand are, in places, almost cov- 

 ered with them." 



For tlie benefit of any of our readers whose love for the birds 

 may incline them to visit the Bahamas in the summer season, 

 we ought perhaps to udd that Mr. Corey says: that "the south- 



