NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 63 



Yarrell, who describes this bird as the Phalaropus 

 lobatus, Grey Phalarope, considers Bewick's Red Pha- 

 larope and Grey Phalarope as the same, differing only in 

 the state of plumage. I may here add that Yarrell appears 

 to have described this bird more correctly than either 

 Wilson, Audubon, or the " New York Fauna," the former 

 giving the length as nine inches, the next as six, and the 

 latter as six and a half inches. Now the two specimens 

 found here gave eight and a quarter inches each, i.e., from 

 the point of the bill to the extremity of the tail ; the wings 

 extended somewhat beyond this measurement. I there- 

 fore presume that Audubon, in lieu of measuring his speci- 

 men in the flesh, has consulted one in a state of preservation, 

 when set up in some collection. 



March 26th, 1848. — Mr. Wedderburn, to whom I sent the 

 foregoing specimen, tells me that it proved to be a female ; 

 and, further, that the soiled and dirty appearance of the 

 sides and lower parts of the bird (which I had alluded to in 

 my note, and which induced him to wash those parts), is 

 nothing more than the true markings of the female in its 

 partially assumed summer plumage. 



April 7 tk, 1848. — When at the Dockyard to-day I called 

 on Mr. Wedderburn, and examined the skin of this bird 

 which had been set up by him. Found all the lower parts 

 mottled with numerous rusty, or cinnamon-coloured spots, 

 rather thicker towards the vent than elsewhere, but not so 

 bright and metallic as the markings on each side of the 

 neck. 



April \^th, 1848. — Saw a hundred and fifteen live Red- 

 birds (Pilylus cardinalis) at Facey's, intended for exporta- 

 tion to England. 



