274 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



and ' the little Ring Plover. Several of these were killed, 

 together with two Esquimaux Curlew and two Golden 

 Plover. The doctor mentioned, as a curious fact, that 

 having shot three small Sandpipers, which fell on the 

 rocks close to the wash of the sea, he was surprised to 

 see them carried bodily off by the crabs (which abound 

 along the shore), and had to run and draw them from the 

 holes into which the crabs had taken them, and that, too, 

 before he could re-load his gun. 



September 3ra£— Strolled into the neighbouring marshes 

 in search of a strange bird seen by my little son, and 

 stumbled upon a Blue Heron (Ardea ccerulea), which I 

 killed. It was in full plumage, and upwards of twenty-two 

 inches in length. 



September 8 th. — At 10 p.m. heard a flock of Plover 

 passing to the southward. The night was starlight, with 

 a young moon nearly set, and the breeze at south-west. 



September \"jth. — Mr. Peniston sent me a curious speci- 

 men of the Common Cat Bird {Orpheus carolinensis) 

 with the plumage of the head nearly all white. Two or 

 three of the primary quills were also white, and sundry 

 feathers about the back. 



September 2.7th. — Blowing half a gale from the north- 

 east since yesterday. Sallied forth at three o'clock with 

 dog and gun, and hunted the neighbouring marshes for 

 Snipe. Found nothing but one Carolina Crake on the 

 hills near " Prospect." Saw two Rice Birds, one of which 

 I shot ; and on the north shore fell in with two Turn- 



