NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 53 



muda, were killed in the month of October. The American 

 Woodcock, for some years past, has been gradually ex- 

 tending the northern limit of its vernal flight. May not 

 the Wheat-ear and the Landrail of Europe in like manner 

 extend the westerly range of theirs ? If this be granted, 

 what is to prevent these, and perhaps some other European 

 birds, from becoming, in the course of time, permanent 

 residents of the Western World ? 



November $ot/t, 1 847. — Mr. Charles Fozard tells me that 

 a person named William Stone, who resides near Hungry 

 Bay, and is in the habit of visiting the shallows among the 

 mangrove trees, for the purpose of obtaining bait, assured 

 him that a pair of Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) built their 

 nest on the top of some of those trees last year, that he 

 examined the nest himself and found it to contain two 

 eggs about the size of those of a Turkey, but of a greenish 

 blue colour. These he endeavoured to hatch under a hen. 



Stone, who subsequently made the same statement to 

 myself, also says that he has recently seen another Heron's 

 nest building near the same spot. This is the first indica- 

 tion I have received of the Great Blue Heron breeding in 

 these islands. 



December 14th, 1847. — The Rev. H. B. Tristram brought 

 me the skin of a young Ardea virescens, or Green Heron, 

 shot near St. George's about a month since. 



It measured only fifteen inches in length, had the 

 greater wing coverts tipped with a triangular spot of white, 

 and the second quill the longest. This specimen was con- 

 siderably less than the beautiful adult bird shot by Lieu- 

 tenant Abbot on October 13th, last year, and wanted its 

 brilliant plumage. 



