32 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



flocks, numbering from twenty to thirty each, had actually 

 been shot at on the North Hills just before we arrived 

 there. These we failed in meeting with, though we searched 

 for them until dark. 



I understand from Mr. Wedderburn that he has recently 

 shot a Sandpiper answering to the description of the 

 Totanus solitarius, or Solitary Sandpiper. I have not yet 

 seen the specimen, but have no doubt it is the same as one 

 shot by Mr. Fozard, and presented to me on the 20th of 

 September, 1842, a description of which I noted on the 

 fly-leaf of the first volume of Wilson, and queried it as 

 such. The description there given was as follows : — 

 " Length, eight inches ; breadth, fourteen inches ; bill, one 

 inch long and grooved in the upper mandible ; colour, 

 dark brown ; legs, olive, and not wanting the hind toe ; 

 upper parts, olive, speckled with yellowish spots ; wings 

 ditto ; primaries, dark brown, and free from white spots or 

 edges; lower parts, white, except the breast, which is 

 marked with light brown — very light in the centre ; tail 

 chiefly composed of white feathers, with cross-bars or spots 

 of a dark colour. 



Saw Mr. Salton Smith day before yesterday, and 

 questioned him about a visit he kindly made, at my sug- 

 gestion, to the Black Rock, near Castle Harbour in August 

 last. 



He tells me on the occasion alluded to, the sea was 

 rougher than he anticipated, and that he had some diffi- 

 culty in landing a boy upon the rock. This, however, he 

 succeeded in doing and the boy twice returned with speci- 

 mens of young sea-birds, consisting of about a dozen " Red- 

 shanks" (Terns) and two Cahows, all which were safely 

 got on board the dingy. He then went for eggs, and re- 



