12 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



sion, but when these authors are considered in conjunction 

 with the " New York Fauna," their united testimony places 

 the question of identity beyond a doubt. It is remarkable 

 that none of these works mentions the bright yellow eyelids 

 of this bird. 



Dr. Cole mentions having met with a strange bird in 

 the Governor's Marsh, resembling the Passenger-Pigeon of 

 Wilson. He was not fortunate enough to get a shot at it. 



December i %th, 1 846. — Examined a specimen of the Otus 

 brachyotus, or Short-eared Owl of Wilson, killed by Dr. 

 Cole. Length, fourteen inches ; breadth, thirty-eight. 



December igtk, 1846. — Saw a specimen of the F. marila, 

 or Scaup Duck of Wilson. It was probably a young bird, 

 and exhibited a band of yellowish-white plumage round 

 the base of the bill, measuring half-an-inch in depth on 

 each side, and a quarter of an inch above. In other 

 respects it agreed with Wilson's description. This bird 

 was shot by Lieutenant Abbot, 20th Regiment, and mea- 

 sured sixteen inches in length, by twenty-six in breadth. 



Sir William Jardine and Yarrell both describe the female 

 of Fuligula marila as exhibiting a band of white round 

 the base of the bill, though the former considers it as 

 appertaining to the young, and the latter to old females. 



The Belted Kingfisher — Alcedo alcyon of Audubon— is 

 often to be met with in the creeks and marshes of Ber- 

 muda about the month of September, and many remain 

 during the winter, but disappear about the middle of 

 April. 



