474 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
morning!” Cats, however, are not the only foes to be dreaded. 
The “coloured” sportsmen take the eggs and eat them, while a 
white “sportsman” resident on the islands was once overheard to 
say, “It’s all very well for the officers; they get lots of practice,— 
can shoot Partridges at any time,—but the only time I can get them 
is when they have nests, and I can kill the old birds.” No wonder 
the poor birds are kept down, and increase with lamentable slowness. 
If it were not that they are so hard to put up and shoot in a work- 
manlike manner (two brace being quite a “bag” in one day) their 
extermination would be a matter of a few years only. 
Squatarola helvetica, Gray Plover.—Unlike the next species, 
this is by no means a frequent visitor to the Bermudas. One was 
killed, and another seen, by Major Wedderburn at Mangrove Bay 
in September, 1848. I shot one on the beach below the Sand-hills 
on the 5th, and another near Warwick Camp on the 13th November, 
1874. Both these birds were alone. 
Charadrius virginicus, American Golden Plover.—Dr. Coues is 
of opinion that the American bird cannot be specifically separated 
from the Asiatic C. /ulvus (an undoubted specimen of which has 
been recently obtained in the Prybilov Islands). It can always be 
distinguished from our European C. pluvialis by its gray axillaries. 
An excellent account of the appearances of this species in Bermuda 
is given by Mr. Hurdis (Nat. in B., pp.71—77), who goes carefully 
and thoroughly into the question of its wonderful migrations. 
Major Wedderburn says (p. 36), “ During some years large flocks 
of these birds pass over the islands in the months of September and 
October; but, unless in stormy weather, they do not alight in any 
great numbers. I have seen it as early as the 21st August, 1847, 
at Ireland Island; again on the 25th July, 1848, at Hamilton. 
The latter was a single bird sitting on the road close to the house 
in which I lived; but by the time I got out it was gone. On the 
9th March, 1852, one was shot in beautiful plumage, on the north 
shore; and this is the only instance of its appearing in spring.” 
Numbers appeared in September, 1874, frequenting the grassy 
slopes of the north shore—their favourite haunt—and even the 
parade grounds, during the continuance of a three days’ revolving 
gale. Many were shot, all in the mottled dress which procured 
for the species the specific name “marmoratus.” Small flocks 
continued to arrive at intervals during the autumn, remaining only 
a few days in each case. 1 obtained specimens on the 14th and 
