'./[O NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



Mr. Wedderburn, of the 42nd Highlanders, arrived by 

 he Thames steamer, from England yesterday. He informs 

 ne that when about thirty miles to the eastward of these 

 slands, and previous to sighting them, he observed one 

 Tropic Bird on the wing. There can be little doubt that 

 his is a straggler from these shores, and a rare occurrence 

 it this season of the year. 



The Rev. H. B. Tristram, of Castle Eden, Durham, in a 

 etter dated the 29th ultimo, writes as follows : — " Your 

 jrebe, which I sent home in 1847, has been pronounced by 

 ifarrell and Jardine, to be the young of the Podiceps 

 carolinensis, a species very different from the Sclavonian." 



Now Audubon describes the male Podiceps carolinensis 

 is being fourteen inches in length, and the very perfect 

 foung specimen obtained on October 1st last measured 

 :hirteen inches only. The Grebe alluded to by Mr. Tristram 

 neasured fifteen and a half inches long. I state this from 

 ny own examination of the bird, which was certainly 

 /ery different in appearance from the Podiceps carolinensis 

 ately shot here. See Yarell's description of the Sclavonian 

 Grebe in its winter plumage. Also the Horned Grebe of 

 Auudubon, and the " New York Fauna." The latter of these 

 luthorities gives the length at fourteen and a half to fifteen 

 ind a half inches. 



November 21st. — The Gull mentioned yesterday again 

 made its appearance in Hamilton Water this evening. 

 Went down to the Barrack Wharf and succeeded in 

 shooting it. It proved to be the Western Gull {Larus 

 iccidentalis), of Audubon. Length, upward of twenty-four 

 nches. Extent, five feet. Outer half of the bill, black; 

 nner portion, lightish horn colour. Eyes, black. Legs, 



