122 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



that towards the evening of the 22nd instant, that town 

 and neighbourhood were suddenly visited by thousands of 

 Swallows, which appeared to have come in from the south. 

 The Purple Martin and the White-bellied Swallow were 

 very numerous. 



This information perfectly coincides with what I have 

 already noted, and induces me to believe that the immense 

 flight which appeared on that day, and extended from 

 Ireland Island, along the south shore to St. George's, v/ere 

 driven here by a hurricane, which probably met them some- 

 where between Nassau and these islands. 



Stone, the town constable, who was in eager pursuit of 

 the tall white bird, which I fired at on the 24th instant, and 

 who, from being concealed among the mangroves, had a 

 fair opportunity of observing its form and appearance ; 

 confidently asserts that it was " no Heron!' He describes 

 the bird as brownish white in plumage, with a very long 

 neck, and equally long legs, and a peculiar bill, " something 

 like a Parrot's," — he also mentioned the fulness about the 

 under part of the lower jaw resembling a Gull's pouch. 

 Showed him Wilson's print of the Wood Ibis, which he at 

 once said was much too long in the bill, and heavy in form 

 about the neck and body, for the bird he saw. His eye 

 then caught Wilson's figure of the Flamingo. This, he said, 

 was precisely the shape and make of the bird in question 

 and the form of the bill exactly similar. I have no doubt, 

 judging from this testimony, and from what I observed 

 myself (the head was the only part concealed from my 

 observation), that this bird was a Flamingo of the present 

 year, in its greyish white plumage. Stone tells me he 

 followed the long-necked stranger to Peniston's Ponds, 

 where he fired at it without success. 



