BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 
33 
and showed such evident signs of anxiety that I was certain that 
their eggs could not be far off ; but although we searched diligently 
for them, we were unable to find a single egg. Meanwhile, the 
Plovers had been flying about us, uttering short, sharp notes of 
distress, but, upon our moving away, they immediately ceased their 
lamentations, and became as quiet as possible, evidently satisfied 
that we had given up the search. While walking through the short 
marsh -grass, a Dove suddenly started up from almost under my 
feet, which I recognized as the little Ground Dove (C. passerina ) ; 
but, to be positive, I shot the bird, and then commenced a careful 
search for the nest, and was lucky enough to find it without any 
trouble. It was simply a little mat of sticks, on which were deposited 
two beautiful little white eggs, which were quite fresh. 
Yellow-crowned Night Herons (N. violaceci) were very abundant ; 
we must have started over a hundred of them during our circuit 
of the island, and I was enabled to procure a number of their rare 
eggs, sometimes finding two or three nests on the same bush. 
We found Terns more abundant on this island than anywhere 
else in the Bahamas, and as it is an unfrequented spot, they are 
so tame as to often allow themselves to be taken from the nest 
without offering to fly. Several of the men whom I sent on shore 
brought back a number of the birds alive, and several basketsful of 
eggs, mostly those of Terns and Night Herons. Some of them 
were cracked, and they requested me to allow them to have them 
to eat. If they ate them, as I suppose they did, it was in all proba- 
bility the most valuable omelet they will ever have set before them. 
5 
