NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 4OI 



4 



When the boats met for the race upon the appointed 

 day, great was the surprise and disappointment of Mr. 

 Hunt's friends to find that he proposed to sail his boat 

 under such a novel rig ; one and all declared that they 

 would not stand to the bets they had made upon his 

 boat, and, at Mr. Hunt's request, these were all transferred 

 to his own name. 



The race was won with such perfect ease by the one- 

 masted boat that, in the course of a year or so, every 

 boat in the Bermudas had adopted the new rig, which 

 remains unchanged to the present day. 



It is to be regretted that Mr. Hunt died without any 

 testimonial from his brother islanders in commemoration 

 of this event. 



ON THE PRESERVATION OF BIRDS BY THE 

 BERMUDIAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. 



The following I take from the Royal Bermuda Gazette 

 of September 6th, 1881. 



" The attention of the public is drawn to the provisions 

 of the Wild Bird Protection Act passed during the present 

 Session. 



" By this Act a penalty not exceeding one pound for every 

 bird, besides costs, is imposed on every person who shall 

 knowingly and wilfully shoot, or attempt to shoot, or use 

 any boat for the purpose of shooting, or who shall use any 

 trap, or other thing, to take, or who shall offer for sale, or 

 have in his possession, any Red Bird, Blue Bird, Black Bird, 

 Ground Dove, Chick-of-the- Village, Quail, Partridge, Long- 

 tail or Boatswain Bird, Humming Bird, Kingfisher, Wood- 

 pecker, Rice Bird, Crane, or Heron. 



" A penalty not exceeding five shillings for every egg, 

 besides costs, is also imposed on every person who shall 

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