96 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



breadth on the inner webs, towards their extremities. Mr. 

 Wedderburn supposes this to be the bird he has so often 

 taken for a Buzzard. 



Mr. Wedderburn shot a Bittern near the sluice gates, on 

 his return from Hamilton, which he unfortunately lost 

 among the thick reeds and mangroves. 



December i^tk, 1848. — A common Blue Heron (one of 

 those captured after the October gale), kept by the Rev. 

 H. B. Tristram, at Ireland Island, was seen some weeks ago, 

 to kill a Ground Dove, which it immediately swallowed 

 entire. 



December 1M1, 1848. — Hunted the Governor's Marsh this 

 evening, and found nothing. Visited the Marsh, near 

 " Dick Keye's," and contrived to get. a shot at the Bittern 

 {Ardea lentiginosd), that has haunted that spot for some 

 weeks. It proved to be a fine specimen, full twenty-seven 

 inches in length. Sent it to Mr. Wedderburn. 



January \st, 1849. — Examined a Gull, shot this morning 

 by Mr. Wedderburn. It measured twenty-one and a half 

 inches in length, was of a brown colour, darkest on the 

 upper parts, and mottled with spots of a dull white or very 

 light brown. Bill, black, with the extreme point white. 

 Tarsi, brown, and about two inches in length. Feet, clay 

 colour — nails black. Tail, with a broad dark-coloured 

 band near its extremity, the outer feathers above the band 

 nearly white. Quill feathers slightly tipped with dirty 

 white. I consider this to be a young bird of the past 

 season, of the species Larus zonorkynchus, or Common 



