Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/435

Rh of the everlasting cedars. They are very dexterous in catching insects among the foliage, their manner of feeding seeming to be intermediate between that of a Flycatcher and a Warbler. You can hear the "snip" of their mandibles as they secure their prey for a considerable distance. I have seen one catching flies off the back of a cow, jumping vigorously at them from the ground, and "snipping" them off neatly as they buzzed round the recumbent animal. Mr. Hurdis says (Nat. in B., p. 71):—"In September it delights to feed on the small white berries of the sweet-scented Tournefortia, and it is also fond of the small fiery capsicum, known by the name of 'bird-pepper,' the pods of which it plucks and swallows entire." It is on record that the newly- fledged young of this species have been found entangled in the meshes of the web of the "silk" spider, Epëira clavipes. These webs are of great size and strength, extending for many feet between adjoining cedars, and the number of them among the woods in summer and autumn is almost incredible. In all my rambles, however, I never met with an instance of poor little Vireo having walked into Epëira's parlour.

Vireo olivaceus, Red-eyed Vireo.—The first I met with was captured in the officers' quarters at Prospect Camp, on October 14th, 1874. In March, 1875, I identified three specimens belonging to Mr. Bartram, all shot by himself near Stocks Point. This bird, though somewhat larger, is sufficiently like its brother, V. noveboracensis, to have escaped detection in previous years.

Collurio borealis, Great Northern Shrike.—Not a great many have occurred, though it would appear to visit the islands on both migrations. One was shot by Dr. Cole, 20th Regiment, on October 31st, 1846; one by Mr. Hurdis, January 23rd, 1847; another by Major Wedderburn, near Harris Bay, March 12th, 1850; and a fourth by Mr. J. M. Jones, on the " Model" Farm, Smith's parish, in January, 1872. Besides these there are three specimens in Mr. Bartram's collection. Most of these above-mentioned examples were in immature plumage. [One shot near the garrison instructor's house, at Prospect, on January 1st, 1876, is in my collection.—H.D.]It is strange that the other North American species, C. ludovicianus, of more southerly distribution on the continent than C. borealis, should not have been observed in Bermuda.

Curvirostra americana, American Crossbill.—Of this species Major Wedderburn says:—"A specimen of this bird was captured Rh