NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 29 



scribed as flying so low that the noise made by their wings 

 could be distinctly heard. 



Mr. William Gosling and his brother mentioned one 

 flock in particular, which they estimated at three hundred 

 birds; other persons assured me that flocks of Plover 

 could be heard passing over long after dark, i.e., until past 

 ten o'clock. 



Determined to ascertain if any of these birds were to be 

 found in the islands, I proceeded in the Customs boat 

 (soon after 3 p.m.), and visited all the small islands below 

 the lighthouse. Here I had the satisfaction of meeting 

 with a flock or two of Golden Plover, of about thirty 

 each, and shot three fine specimens. I also killed a couple 

 of Turnstones, one American Ring Plover [Charadrius 

 semipalmatus of Audubon), and a little Sandpiper. 



Messrs. Wedderburn and Orde, of the 42nd, were also 

 out, and ranged the south shore from Hungry Bay to the 

 sandhills without seeing a bird. 



September Jtk, 1847. — Received a fine specimen of the 

 Belled Kingfisher (Alcedo a/cyan), shot on the north 

 shore by Mr. C. Fozard, being the first seen by me since 

 the 5th of April last. 



This afternoon, at 3 p.m., I again took boat, in company 

 with Mr. Fozard, and visited most of the islands in the 

 Sound, and subsequently Burgess' Point, in search of 

 Plover. Saw not a single bird of the kind. Met Mr. 

 Wedderburn at the Point, who had been out the whole 

 day and seen one flock of Golden Plover only ; of these 

 he killed three. I presume, therefore, that with the ex- 

 ception of a few stragglers, our recent visitors have pro- 

 ceeded to the southward. Such is -the uncertainty of 

 these visitations of the feathered tribe. Yesterday, guns 



