NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 289 



September 2nd. — On returning from office I was told by 

 my little son that he had seen three or four " Rice Birds " 

 in the adjoining marsh, and even thrown sticks at them. 

 He described them as being yellow on the breast, and 

 brown above. Went out with my gun in the evening, but 

 failed in obtaining any of these birds, which were too wary 

 to let me approach them. Visited the sluice gates, and 

 returned home by the north shore. Saw one Solitary Sand- 

 piper only. 



September $th. — A flock of fifteen or sixteen Rice Birds 

 were disturbed in White's Marsh this evening. Went out 

 with my gun, and shot four specimens. 



September gth. — A flock of Curlews reported by two 

 different persons to have been seen last evening on the 

 extreme point of Cobler's Island, near the Hog-fish 

 Beacon. Mr. Fozard assures me that as he passed the 

 point in his boat he could distinctly see the downward 

 curve of their bills (Numenius borealis, or Esquimaux 

 Curlew). Thermometer eighty-four and five. 



September 12th. — A Crow passed over my garden this 

 morning, and saluted us with his cheerful " caw " — a rural 

 sound so seldom heard in this part of Bermuda, that I 

 cannot refrain from recording the circumstance. 



September i$th. — At twilight this evening an Owl was 

 observed in the immediate neighbourhood of my own 

 house. It was seen by three of my children, and is de- 

 scribed as barred, with brown and white on the under side, 

 and "hovering" at times in the air. Watched with my 

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