CHAP. XII 



BERMUDA 



269 



and form one of its most striking autumnal features. In 

 October, Mr. Jones tells us, the sportsman enjoys more 

 shooting than at any other time. The violent revolving 

 gales, which occur almost weekly, bring numbers of birds 

 of many species from the American continent, the different 

 members of the duck tribe forming no inconsiderable por- 

 tion of the whole ; while the Canada goose, and even the 

 ponderous American swan, have been seen amidst the 

 migratory host. With these come also such delicate birds 

 as the American robin (Turdus migratorms), the yellow- 

 rumped warbler {Dendrmca coronata), the pine warbler 

 (Dendrceca pi7ms), the wood wagtail (Sinriis novmhoracensis), 

 the summer red bird {Pijranga mstiva), the snow-bunting 

 {Plcdrophanes nivalis), the red-poll {^giothus linarius), 

 the king bird (Tyrannus carolinensis) , and many others. 

 It is no doubt in consequence of this repeated immigration 

 that none of the Bermuda birds have acquired any special 

 peculiarity constituting even a distinct variety ; for the 

 few species that are resident and breed in the islands are 

 continually crossed by individual immigrants of the same 

 species from the mainland. 



Four European birds also have occurred in Bermuda ; — 

 the wheatear (Saxicola osnanthe), which visits Iceland and 

 Lapland and sometimes the northern United States ; the 

 skylark (Alaiida arvcnsis), but this was probably an im- 

 ported bird or an escape from some ship ; the land-rail 

 {Crex pratensis), which also wanders to Greenland and the 

 United States ; and the common snipe (ScoIojmx gallinago), 

 which occurs not unfrequently in Greenland but has not 

 yet been noticed in North America. It is however so like 

 the American snipe {S. wilsoni), that a straggler might 

 easily be overlooked. 



Two small bats of N. American species also occasionally 

 reach the island, while two others from the West Indies 

 have more rarely occurred, and these are the only wild 

 mammalia except rats and mice. 



Insects of Bermuda. — Insects appear to be very scarce ; 

 but it is evident from the lists given by Mr. Jones, and 

 more recently by Professor Heilprin, that only the more 

 conspicuous species have been yet collected. These com- 



