Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/500

474 morning!" Cats, however, are not the only foes to be dreaded. The "coloured" sportsmen take the eggs and eat them, while a white "sportsman" resident on the islands was once overheard to say, "It's all very well for the officers; they get lots of practice,—can shoot Partridges at any lime,—but the only time I can get them is when they have nests, and I can kill the old birds." No wonder the poor birds are kept down, and increase with lamentable slowness. If it were not that they are so hard to put up and shoot in a workmanlike manner (two brace being quite a "bag" in one day) their extermination would be a matter of a few years only.

Squatarola helvetica, Gray Plover.—Unlike the next species, this is by no means a frequent visitor to the Bermudas. One was killed, and another seen, by Major Wedderburn at Mangrove Bay in September, 1848. I shot one on the beach below the Sand-hills on the 5th, and another near Warwick Camp on the 13lh November, 1874. Both these birds were alone.

Charadrius virginicus, American Golden Plover.—Dr. Coues is of opinion that the American bird cannot be specifically separated from the Asiatic C. fulvus (an undoubled specimen of which has been recently obtained in the Prybilov Islands). It can always be distinguished from our European C. pluvialis by its gray axillaries. An excellent account of the appearances of this species in Bermuda Is given by Mr. Hurdis (Nat. in B., pp.71–77), who goes carefully and thoroughly into the question of its wonderful migrations. Major Wedderburn says (p. 36), "During some years large flocks of these birds pass over the islands in the months of September and October; but, unless in stormy weather, they do not alight in any great numbers. I have seen it as early as the 21st August, 1847, at Ireland Island; again on the 25th July, 1848, at Hamilton. The latter was a single bird silting on the road close to the house in which I lived; but by the time I got out it was gone. On the 9th March, 1852, one was shot in beautiful plumage, on the north shore; and this is the only instance of its appearing in spring."

Numbers appeared in September, 1874, frequenting the grassy slopes of the north shore—their favourite haunt—and even the parade grounds, during the continuance of a three days' revolving gale. Many were shot, all in the mottled dress which procured for the species the specific name "marmoratus." Small flocks continued to arrive at intervals during the autumn, remaining only a few days in each case. I obtained specimens on the 14th and