663 A. FE. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 
bo 
51 
terns], Teale, Snites [snipes], Crowes, and Hawkes, of which in 
March wee found divers kinds Ayres, Goshawkes and Tassells, Oxen 
birds, Cormorants, Bald-cootes, Moore Hennes,* Owles, and Battes in 
great store. And upon New-yeeres day, in the morning, our Goy- 
ernour being walked forth with another Gentleman, Master James 
Swift, each of them with their Peeces killed a wild Swanne,t in a 
great Sea-water Bay or Pond | Mullet Bay ?]| in our Iland.” 
The Rey. Lewis Hughes, 1615, gives the following item as to the 
song birds : 
“The birds make a noise almost all night, but not with such pleas- 
ant tunes as the Larkes, and other birds doe in England, Heere is 
no bird that singeth in the daie but the sparrow,{ the Robin red- 
brest§ & the Robin-williams.”’| 
The following description of one of the birds by Governor Moore 
has been supposed by Lefroy and others, but without sufficient 
reason, to apply to the Catbird, which is still very common, and 
audacious, and as noisy as with us: 
“Fowles there are of divers sorts, but amongst all there is a bird 
like unto yours, which you call in England a Crow, which though 
they talke in the Barmuda language, yet their tongues shall walke 
as faste as any English womans: wee cannot goe up into the woods, 
but that they will follow after us with such an outcry that it would 
fret a man to heare them. They are very good meate, fat, and as 
white flesh as a chicken. We many times make some of them leave 
their talking with stones or cudgels, for they will sit and face you 
hard at your hand.”4 
Capt. John Smith, in describing the fatal disease or famine of 
1614-15 (see p. 552), mentioned the appearance of birds that he 
* Probably the Florida gallinule, which still breeds here in small numbers. 
+ The American Swan (Olor Columbianus) has been taken in modern times. 
¢ Probably the Cardinal Bird. 
§ The Bluebird, without doubt. 
|| There is no direct clue as to the species intended by this name, but if it be 
a native singing bird, still resident here, it is probably the White-eyed Vireo,— 
the only other common, resident, native singing bird, except the Catbird. 
§| Governor Moore must have been familiar with the English crow. Therefore 
it is quite probable that these were real crows, for Governor Butler also speaks 
of the extreme tameness and audacity of the crows when the islands were first 
visited. JI have personally seen them, especially in the breeding season, very 
tame, noisy, and fearless on some of the small, distant and seldom visited islands 
off the American coast. The flesh of young crows is said to be palatable. 
