NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. iqj 



small birds were captured on the outer ledges of the 

 lantern of the Iron Lighthouse. Several of these birds are 

 now in the possession of persons residing near the spot. 

 They are described as being all alike — brown on the upper 

 parts and yellow below. 



Mr. Hodgson Smith has promised to send me some of 

 them. 



October gtk. — Hunted the Governor's Marsh at day-break 

 with Mr. Orde. Found one Snipe only, which I killed. 

 Saw no other bird. 



October nth. — Visited the Governor's Marsh and the 

 sluice gates ; saw two Pectoral Sandpipers and two Snipe ; 

 shot one of the latter. 



October 12th. — A Tropic Bird passed within a few feet 

 of a party fishing in the Sound ; indeed, it is said that the 

 bird's tail touched the hat of one of the piscators. 



October 13th. — -Yesterday I succeeded in finding the 

 " Salt Kettle Duck's " nest among the bushes at some 

 little distance from the house. It is her fourth attempt 

 to raise a brood this season. The nest was composed of 

 dry grass and down, neatly built ; and contained fourteen 

 eggs of the same size and colour as usual. To-day, on 

 pointing out the nest to my little boy, I observed ants 

 were attacking her about the head, and on taking the 

 poor thing off its nest, both eyes were found to be closed. 

 One, I knew, had been so for some time, but the other had 

 been partially open up to yesterday, when I fed her with 

 corn at the back door. On examining the parts, I find 

 the eyelids have grown together, so as totally to impede 



