1$1 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



the members of the family were summoned to the window, 

 and several of them witnessed this extraordinary and novel 

 sight. Mr. Darrell described the bird as being greenish in 

 colour, with red on some portion of the body, though he 

 could not exactly remember where ; the tail, the only part 

 visible at times, he is positive was tipped with white. 



April 2%th— Mr. Walker tells me that when at Port 

 Royal three or four days ago he saw a number of strange 

 birds, which puzzled him for a time, but which he is con- 

 vinced were Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Saw as many as 

 seven or eight sitting upon the same rail. This was on the 

 north side of the hills, below the lighthouse. 



While at my dinner, received intelligence of a large bird 

 being in the adjoining marsh. Started immediately with 

 my gun, and saw the bird at a considerable distance. It 

 appeared to be dark brown, with long rounded wings, 

 which formed an acute angle above the body resembling 

 the letter V. Poised in this manner, the bird was describ- 

 ing circles in the Buzzard style, with very little motion of 

 the wings. I followed this stranger through the marshes to 

 the sluice gates and the bogs beyond, where I lost all trace 

 of it. Three different parties of working people, who had 

 an opportunity of observing the bird as it passed over 

 them, within gun shot, described it as being " the size of a 

 good Turkey," black in colour, with the quill feathers 

 separated from each other like the fingers on a man's hand. 

 Returned home impressed with the belief that I had seen 

 the Great Eagle Owl {Bubo virginianus) for the first time 

 in my life. Saw a Kingfisher at the sluice gates. This 

 is unusually late for that bird to remain here. 



