84 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



I learn from Mr. Wedderburn that a Yellow-billed 

 Cuckoo {Coccyzus americanus), during the gale of yester- 

 day, took refuge in one of the barrack-rooms at Ireland 

 Island, where it was captured ; but unfortunately with the 

 loss of the greater portion of its tail. It is a strange coin- 

 cidence that, on the same date last year, a Yellow-billed 

 Cuckoo was captured in the same manner, and at the same 

 place. 



October 17th, 1848. — Mr. Fozard was out early this 

 morning and killed a young specimen of the Anas acuta, 

 or Pin-tail Duck, in all respects similar to those shot by 

 Mr. Wedderburn last year, except that the long feathers 

 of the tail were present, not having been shed in the moult- 

 ing of the bird. It measured twenty-four inches in length. 

 It was found in a small marsh near the town, frequented 

 by a number of domestic Ducks belonging to a cottage 

 close by. 



Mr. Wedderburn shot a Rice -Bunting (Dolickonyx ory- 

 zivora, or Wandering Rice-bird of Audubon) in the marshes 

 near Hamilton this morning, also a couple of Snipe ; and 

 he saw and fired at a Ortygometra jamaicensis, or Least 

 Crake Gallinule. 



October iSt/t, 1848. — J. R. Place, master of the schooner 

 "Norman," just arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, informs 

 me that on his passage hence to that port, about the 12th 

 ultimo, in longitude 63° 30' and latitude 37 , he fell in 

 with vast numbers of Plover, in flocks numbering from 

 thirty to a thousand each, all flying due south by compass. 

 Weather moderate at the time, but on the following day it 

 blew fresh from the north-west. He further says that he 

 could hear numerous flocks of Plover, passing over his 



