THE BIRDS OF THE BERMUDAS. - 409 
of the everlasting cedars. They are very dexterous in catching 
insects among the foliage, their manner of feeding seeming to be 
intermediate between that of a Flycatcher and a Warbler. You 
can hear the “snip” of their mandibles as they secure their prey 
for a considerable distance. I have seen one catching flies off the 
back of a cow, jumping vigorously at them from the ground, and 
“‘snipping” them off neatly as they buzzed round the recumbent 
animal. Mr. Hurdis says (Nat. in B., p. 71):—“In September it 
delights to feed on the small white berries of the sweet-scented 
Tournefortia, and it is also fond of the small fiery capsicum, 
known by the name of ‘ bird-pepper, the pods of which it plucks 
and swallows entire.” It is on record that the newly-fledged 
young of this species have been found entangled in the meshes of 
the web of the “silk” spider, Epéira clavipes. These webs are of 
great size and strength, extending for many feet between adjoining 
cedars, and the number of them among the woods in summer and 
autumn is almost incredible. In all my rambles, however, I never 
met with an instance of poor little Vireo having walked into 
Epéira’s parlour. 
Vireo olivaceus, Red-eyed Vireo.—The first I met with was 
captured in the officers’ quarters at Prospect Camp, on October 
14th, 1874. In March, 1875, | identified three specimens belonging 
to Mr. Bartram, all shot by himself near Stocks Point. This bird, 
though somewhat larger, is sufficiently like its brother, V. novebo- 
racensis, to have escaped detection in previous years. 
Collurio borealis, Great Northern Shrike.—Not a great many 
have occurred, though it would appear to visit the islands on both 
migrations. One was shot by Dr. Cole, 20th Regiment, on October 
31st, 1846; one by Mr. Hurdis, January 23rd, 1847; another by 
Major Wedderburn, near Harris Bay, March 12th, 1850; and a 
fourth by Mr. J. M. Jones, on the “ Model” Farm, Smith’s parish, 
in January, 1872. Besides these there are three specimens in 
Mr. Bartram’s collection. Most of these above-mentioned examples 
were in immature plumage. [One shot near the garrison instructor’s 
house, at Prospect, on January Ist, 1876, is in my collection.— 
H.D.] It is strange that the other North American species, 
C. ludovicianus, of more southerly distribution on the continent 
than C. borealis, should not have been observed in Bermuda. 
Curvirostra americana, American Crossbill.—Of this species 
Major Wedderburn says :—* A specimen of this bird was captured 
3G 
