NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 15 



I am disposed to join in the general belief of the correct- 

 ness of this story, and for the following reasons. That 

 Crows seldom visit the eastern portion of the islands, 

 which stray birds blown off the American coast might be 

 supposed to do — and so little is this bird known in the 

 vicinity of Hamilton, which may be termed the central part 

 of the Colony, that during a residence of six years in that 

 locality, the present is the first and only specimen I have 

 met with. A friend informs me that when shooting in the 

 neighbourhood frequented by these Crows, the inhabitants 

 requested he would shoot them {i.e., the Crows) on account 

 of the number of chickens they destroyed. 



December $oth, 1846. — Examined the skin of a female 

 specimen of the Picus varius, or Yellow-bellied 'Wood- 

 pecker, of Audubon. This bird was shot near the Fury by 

 Dr. Ross Hassard. Compared it with a male specimen of 

 the same bird in the Bermuda Museum, which was killed 

 in Nova Scotia. 



December 31J/, 1846. — Saw a second specimen of the 

 Common Gallinule, similar to that of the 22nd, excepting 

 that the membrane on the forehead was brown instead of 

 bright red. Shot by Mr. Abbot in the branches of a man- 

 grove tree, about ten feet from the water. 



The Ostyx Virginiana, or Quail of Wilson — the Common 

 American Partridge, of Audubon — is said to have been 

 common in the Bermudas some years ago, when barley was - 

 more generally grown by the inhabitants than at present ; 

 it was then customary to go out for the express purpose of 

 " shooting Quails," when four or five brace of those birds 

 were no unusual bag ; now it is unknown. 



