NATURAL HISTORY OP THE BERMUDAS. 133 



been disturbed. It appeared, through the telescope, to be 

 of pure white plumage. Mr. Wheatley, Paymaster of the 

 42nd, reports a small White Heron on the wing, in the 

 same vicinity, and at the same time. 



Saw a single specimen of the Great Yellow-Shanks 

 Tattler (Totanus vociferus) pass over the town in a south- 

 easterly direction. It was high in the air, its under 

 plumage glistening with light and its well-known whistling 

 note clear and loud. A male specimen of this bird was 

 observed at Ireland Island, by Mr. McLeod. 



October z\st. — Mr. J. D. Anderson (Civil Engineer, in 

 charge of the Works at Ireland Island), tells me that on 

 the morning of the 9th instant, " numbers of Yellow-billed 

 Cuckoos " were observed by him among the cedar trees 

 inside the keep. On asking him to explain how far he 

 meant the word " numbers " to extend, he replied that 

 he saw at least four hundred of those birds there ; and at 

 Somerset, on the evening of the same day, the trees were 

 full of them. 



October 22nd. — Learn from the driver of the Somerset 

 Mail that his brother observed, about ten days since, two 

 wild Geese, of white plumage, come in from the sea and 

 " pitch " in *' the Bay " (Mangrove Bay), where they re- 

 mained only for a short time. They flew out to sea, and 

 have not been seen since. These were, doubtless, a pair of 

 Snow Geese (Anser kyperboreus), of Audubon. 



October 2%rd. — Examined Mr. McLeod's specimen of the 

 " Unknown Flycatcher," shot on the 9th instant, which 

 I find to be six and three-fourths inches long, second 



