144 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



Bitterns (Ardea exilis of Audubon) to-day, and contrived 

 to miss them both. This is the second instance of the 

 occurrence of this bird in the Bermudas. Mr. Wedderburn 

 also mentions that two or three Gulls were seen about the 

 Hogfish yesterday, while he was on guard at Ireland Island. 

 Was out yesterday myself, and hunted the marshes from 

 Mr. Lightbourne's to Honeymoon Cottage, examining every 

 ditch, pond and creek for Ducks. Saw two Great Blue 

 Herons, and one Kingfisher only. Not a Snipe has been 

 seen since the 23rd ultimo, although the marshes are in 

 admirable condition for these birds. 



December 17 th. — Visited the Chief Justice's ponds and 

 disturbed a flock of nine or ten Cedar Waxwings in the 

 cedar trees. Shot one only, a beautiful specimen, precisely 

 like that killed on the 12th instant. The crop of each was 

 filled with ripe cedar berries. I have no doubt this is the 

 same flock, though the flight of Blue-birds had moved else- 

 where. No birds on the sea-shore near the Sandhills. 



Mr. Fozard brought me a fine specimen of the Dusky 

 Duck {Anas obscura), which he shot this evening near 

 Minton's house, at the head of the Governor's Marsh. 

 It was found in company with Minton's tame ducks, and 

 although stoned, and fired at with a pistol, was seen to 

 return in a short time. It measured upwards of twenty-one 

 inches in length, by two feet eleven inches in extent ; the 

 outer margin of the speculum, tipped with a narrow line of 

 white, indicating a male bird. In all other respects it 

 agreed with the description of Audubon. 



December 20th. — Heard by accident that a Wild Duck, 

 had been killed by Astwood, the Salt-Kettle ferryman. 



