254 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



Wilson. The tail was considerably forked. I then walked 

 through Tankfield, and examined the south shore, thence 

 to Hungry Bay. While so employed two " Crows " (Corvus 

 americanus) passed over my head, cawing merrily. These 

 I did not molest. At Hungry Bay I enquired of a fisher- 

 man, if he had seen any birds about? He replied, "that 

 as he sat there watching the whales outside the buoy, three 

 black birds, somewhat larger than Pigeons, had crossed the 

 water and rounded a corner of the swamp close by." 

 Following in that direction, I soon disturbed a Purple 

 Gallinule (Gallinula martinicd), which rose from the bank, 

 and dropped among the mangrove roots before I could 

 bring my gun to bear. This was no doubt one of the 

 birds seen by my friend the fisherman. I then disturbed 

 two Herons, one of which was a full-plumaged Blue one 

 (Ardea ccerulea) ; the other was white on the lower part 

 of the body, but mottled with grey on the upper parts. In 

 size and manner of flight it resembled its companion, and 

 I have no doubt was the Ardea carulea of the past year, 

 gradually changing from white to purple plumage. Saw 

 also two Green Herons, at which I refused to shoot. 



The Night Hawks, so abundant on the 21st instant, 

 have gradually diminished in numbers. One or two 

 stragglers only remaining in the neighbourhood. Saw the 

 Kingfisher at the sluice gates. 



May ^rd. — I have omitted to mention that the master 

 of the American brig, " Sarah Peters," who reported his 

 arrival from George Town, South Carolina, with a heavy 

 cargo of timber, on the 28th of April (having been five 

 days only on the voyage), states that " on every day since 

 leaving the American coast," his vessel was visited by land 

 birds. These he describes as being small, and many of 



