ZOOLOGY. 93 



tunately, this specimen was destroyed by a pig before I 

 had an opportunity of seeing it. My information was ob- 

 tained from Mr. Campbell himseK, who had this bird in 

 his possession. 



The Cahow. 



Governor John Smith, in his general History of Virginia, 

 published in 1629, containing an account of the Bermudas, 

 then appertaining to the government of that Colony, men- 

 tions a mysterious bird, as found in those islands, and there 

 called the " cahow," which was noticed " for the tune of his 

 voice." As the writer's description of this bird is somewhat 

 romantic, I will quote his own words. 



" The cahow is a bird of the night, for all the day she 

 lies hid in holes in the rocks, where they and their young 

 are also taken with as much ease as may be, but ia 

 the night, if you but whoop and haUow, they will light 

 upon you, that with your hands you may chuse the fat 

 and leave the leane : those thev have only ia winter. 

 Their eggs are white." 



Purchas, who described the Bermudas a century later, 

 viz., in 1738, makes the following statement. 



"Birds are equally abundant and various, many of the 

 species peculiar to the Island ; the most singular was one 

 called Cowhow, or Cowhie, about the size of a plover, which 

 come forth only in the darkest nights of November and 

 December, hovering over the shore, making a strange 

 hollow, and harsh howling. The most approved mode of 

 takiag them was by standing on rocks by the sea^side, 

 whooping, hallooing, and making the strangest outcries. 



