NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 49 



November igtk, 1847. — Saw another specimen of the 

 Western Gull, shot yesterday by Lieutenant Orde, 42nd 

 Highlanders, near the Stag Rocks; it was precisely like 

 that mentioned yesterday as killed by Mr. Wedderburn, 

 but somewhat smaller, measuring an inch less from the 

 beak to the tail. 



A Gull of the same colour and description was observed 

 by our boatman, Jem Stowe, on his return from the dock- 

 yard this morning. 



Went out and cruised about the Sound for two hours 

 in the afternoon, without seeing a bird of any kind. 



Lieutenant Wedderburn, 42nd Highlanders, shot a very 

 diminutive Water Crake in the Governor's Marsh this 

 morning. At first I was disposed to think it the young 

 of the Yellow-breasted Rail, but on a close inspection was 

 delighted to find it a species entirely new to these islands. 

 It measured five and three-quarter inches in length ; from 

 the carpal joint to the tip of the wing, a little over three 

 inches. The bill, black ; legs and feet, dusky brown ; 

 irides, dark orange red ; chin, white ; lower parts, grey, 

 mottled with brown ; head and upper plumage, olive 

 brown — the latter more or less speckled and transversely 

 barred with white ; neck and shoulders, tinged with chest- 

 nut. First quill feather, white on the outer vane, and 

 much shorter than the remainder, which were spotted or 

 speckled with white on the outer side. This bird was 

 evidently in moult. It is described by Audubon as the 

 Least Crake Gallinule {Ortygometra jamaicensis). 



A Pectoral and two Schinz's Sandpipers killed by Mr. 

 Wedderburn at Somerset to-day» 

 4 



