NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 83 



satisfied, from the roundness of its wings, and the way in 

 which it glides through the air in circles, must be a 

 " Buzzard." 



October i6t/i, 1848. — From noon, day before yesterday to 

 midnight last night it was blowing a gale of wind, com- 

 mencing at east, and veering gradually to south and south- 

 west, after which it continued for sixteen or eighteen hours 

 from the north-west. 



Mr. Marriott informs me that during the gale he saw four 

 or five Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) on the rocks of the 

 south shore, and a negro boy from Port Royal offered to 

 sell me one which he caught alive yesterday. Mr. Wedder- 

 burn also tells me that yesterday a Blue Heron alighted in 

 the dockyard, and was captured by the convicts, who offered 

 it to him. Saw a very fine one in this gentleman's posses- 

 sion this evening, which he purchased from a boy at Hungry 

 Bay, who knocked it off a cedar with a stick during the 

 gale. Heard of another being caught by a boy at Brackish 

 Pond, and one was also captured at St. George's. It is 

 evident from this that several of these birds must have 

 taken refuge on our shores during the blow. 



Heard also from Mr. Wedderburn that he saw two of 

 these birds make the land from the north, and that they 

 flew close to the surface of the waves, apparently much 

 fatigued. Mr. Wedderburn was at Ireland Island at the 

 time. 



Mr. Hodgson Smith sent me a fine specimen of a young 

 Green Heron {Ardea virescens), shot by his brother this 

 morning. It was of course in its immature plumage. 

 Measured eighteen and a quarter inches in length. Bill 

 (upper surface), two and a quarter inches. 



