18 
SHORE BIRDS. 
12th, 1846, great flight of plovers.” The U. S. Consul 
at that place writes us in reference to this matter, October 
29th, 1878: “By all accounts the island was covered with 
them. They were killed in the streets with sticks.” The 
following from a reliable source is so clear and pertinent we 
venture to quote entire: “Ihave seen none of the birds 
myself only what we call grassbirds, but by all accounts 
they come here the last of August and first of September 
till October, a few, but at no other time of the year. My 
idea is that they take a due south course from Newfound¬ 
land and Nova Scotia. When they go back in the spring 
the trade winds are strong from N. E., and they are blown 
more to the westward, and strike Georgia and the Carolinas 
and so make their way North to go over it again.” Fur¬ 
ther on he remarks: “I have seen some black-breasted 
plover and yellowlegs. They are very tired when they 
arrive here; so tired sometimes, they can’t stand up.” 
Again, he writes, as if to corroborate his previous statement 
that they take a “ ‘bee-line’ for the West Indies. I 
was coming home (to Boston) from Europe one voyage and 
passed large flocks three hundred miles from land, going 
South, in September.” 
Capt. * * * * informs our friend E. that one autumn he 
saw thousands of plover in the Gulf Stream nearly five 
hundred miles from land, skipping about and lighting in the 
water and on accumulated seaweed and other vegetable 
matter. He is quite sure the birds go by this route to 
South America. Other shipmasters have made similar 
statements. It must, however, be understood that when 
these people who are not naturalists speak of “plover,” 
they are liable to refer to any of the marsh or shore birds. 
In order to make it more clear that most of the shore birds 
do visit the Barbadoes, we insert the following extract from 
the History of the Island, kindly furnished us by Capt. P., 
the Consul at that place. “ The number of indigenous 
species (of birds) do not amount to fifteen. About forty 
species and varieties arrive toward the end of August, and 
merely alight on their passage to some more distant land. 
