ZOOLOGY. ,_ 39 



in the water, every now and then darting their sharp bills 

 into some of the small crabs, with which the little stream 

 was fiUed. They seemed to catch these crabs and prawns 

 all day long; at other times, they would run along the 

 muddy banks of the river, their necks stretched out close 

 to the ground, chasing the crabs and numeious insects, 

 which were trying to escape,. from them. In Mr. Gosse's 

 account of the Birds of Jamaica, he speaks of the hum- 

 ming-birds chasing the different kinds of herons. I have 

 also noticed this fact, at a small marsh near Worthing, ia 

 Barbadoes, where I have seen the beautiful little blue and 

 green-crested humming-bird chasing the "Green Gaulin," 

 (as it is called,) in every direction, uttering a little, shrill, 

 angry cry, the heron seemingly ia great distress, till at last 

 he would take refuge from his diminutive persecutor, by 

 diving into some friendly thicket ; the huiomiag-bird 

 would then take one or two casts, backwards and forwards, 

 to make sure his enemy was gone, and then dart off to 

 some flower close at hand. 



Great Ameeican White Egeet {Ardea egretta). Only 

 two specimens, which were killed at Hungry Bay, in 1840 ; 

 and Mr. Hurdis mentions that none have been obtained 

 since, though several instances are recorded of its having 

 been seen. 



Snowy Heeon (A. candddissiiTia). I shot two beautiful 

 specimens, male and female, in full plumage, on the 8th 

 and 12th of April, 1850, at the pond, near the tamarind 

 tree; the male bird was only wounded, and swam out a 

 considerable distance into the pond before I could secure 

 it. Several others visited the islands, in September, 1850. 

 These two birds, and the specimen oi ardea cmrulea, already 



