CRAKE. 153 



23° 24' W., more than 500 miles from the coast of 

 Ireland, a Virginian Rail, Ballus virginianus, came 

 on deck and was captured. Both this and the last- 

 named species visit the Bermudas annually, although 

 this group of islands is distant from Cape Hatteras, 

 the nearest point of the North-American coast, about 

 600 miles ! 



The well-known Corn Crake, too, is a summer visi- 

 tant to Greenland, has been met with on several oc- 

 casions on the eastern coast of the United States, and 

 has also been procured in Bermuda. 



Two instances are on record of the occurrence in 

 Great Britain of the Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio 

 hyacinthinus, in a quasi-wild state; but these had 

 doubtless escaped from some ornamental water. 



Order V. NATATORES. 



Fam. ANATIDiE. 



POLISH SWAN. Cygnus immutabilis, Yarrell. 



Hab. Uncertain ; but presumably the countries bordering 

 the Baltic. 



In January 1838 flocks of this species were seen 

 pursuing a southern course along the line of our 

 north-eastern shores, from Scotland to the mouth of 

 the Thames, and several specimens were shot (Yar- 

 rell, Hist. Brit. Birds, vol. iii. p. 231). 



