NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 257 



particularly plump and weighty for their size. Ripe 

 unbroken cranberries were taken from their crops. 



I find from Captain Hunter, of the " Levantine," that 

 these Ptarmigan, or rather Willow Grouse, were brought 

 by him from St. John's, Newfoundland, since his last visit 

 to these islands on the 22nd of April last. It is a 

 singular circumstance that my first acquaintance with this 

 bird should take place in the Islands of Bermuda. 



May 2jlh. — Was summoned from the breakfast table by 

 my little son to see a large bird soaring in the air, almost 

 directly above the house. It was the Osprey (Pandion 

 haliczlus), describing circle after circle, and evidently sur- 

 veying the ditches of the adjoining marsh, which teem 

 with Golden Carp, many of them large in size. 



June $th. — Mr. George Trimmingham presented me with 

 a beautiful specimen of Toianus vociferus, the large Yellow- 

 shanks Tatler of Audubon, which he had shot this 

 morning at Hungry Bay. 



It measured thirteen inches in length, and was in very 

 perfect plumage. No others were in company with it. 

 This is another of our autumn birds visiting the islands 

 for the first time at this season of the year. 



July 22nd. — Dr. Innes, of the Medical Stan", informs me 

 that on Friday last, the 19th instant, he saw a flock of 

 birds moving about Peniston's ponds, which were pro- 

 nounced by Mr. Trott, the Provost-Marshal, to be 

 Yellow-legs. These birds were supposed to be recent 

 arrivals from the north, none having been previously 

 observed there this season. 

 17 



