202 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



Yesterday and last night it has blown hard from south- 

 west to north-west. Hunted the marshes from Minton's 

 to the sluice-gates. Found a few Snipe, and managed to 

 bag three of them. Also shot a Carolina Crake. 



November 29th. — Mr. Orde showed me a Snow Bunting 

 (Phectrophanes nivalis), shot by himself at the Dockyard 

 on the 27th instant. The flock consisted of four of these 

 birds, three of which Mr. Orde obtained at one shot. The 

 one I saw was in the usual Autumnal plumage, and very 

 fat. 



November ?pth. — Saw a specimen of the Western Gull 

 (Larus occidentalis), shot by Mr. Orde this morning. It 

 had been previously wounded in the upper joint of the 

 tarsus so severely as to cause the limb to be reversed, 

 the anterior portion of it being towards the tail, and the 

 foot bent forward, so as to bring the upper portion of it to 

 the ground. How this bird — which had evidently been 

 wounded many weeks ago — could not only maintain itself, 

 but wander so far from the coast of America, it is inter- 

 esting to enquire. There was another of the same species 

 in company when this one was killed. 



December 2nd. — Hunted the Pembroke Marshes this 

 morning ; found three Snipe, a couple of which I killed. 

 Found the flock of small brown birds, mentioned on the 

 13th ultimo, in the same spot, and succeeded in shooting 

 one of them. Length, five inches. Bill, very stout, the 

 upper mandible slightly curved. Edges, ascending from 

 the gape to beneath the nostrils, then direct ; very slightly 

 notched near the tip. Hind toe, robust ; third, united to 

 the fourth at the base. Claws, arched, long, compressed, 



