Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/447

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THE BIRDS OF THE BERMUDAS.
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small horns." No other examples are recorded. [Two frequented the islands in the autumn of 1875. One of these was shot by Lieut. Tallents, 20th Regiment; the other escaped, though it remained two months or more.—H.D.]

Surnia ulula, var. Hudsonica, Hawk Owl.—A single specimen was "seen by Col. Drummond at St. George's, quite close to him, on a Sunday afternoon, otherwise it would have been shot" (Nat. in B., p. 55).

Nyctale acadica, Acadian Owl; Saw-whet.—A rare straggler. Major Wedderburn's notes contain all the information we possess. He says (Nat. in B., p. 25):—"Only one specimen, found on the 12th January, 1849, silting inside the muzzle of one of the guns at Ireland Island by an artilleryman. It is to be hoped that the said gunner has more nerve when working a gun than he displayed on finding the little bird, being afraid to catch it, as he said 'it glow'red at him.' It was caught by a man of the 42nd, and lived in my room for several days, getting quite tame. At night it always became restless, and finally killed itself against the wires of the cage. Mr. Harry Tucker saw another some short time afterwards, in a cave on the south shore."

Circus cyaneus, var. Hudsonius, American Marsh Hawk.—Whether this bird be a good species, or merely a climatic subspecies, race, or variety, I am at a loss to understand, so conflicting are the opinions of naturalists on the question. I have, however, Dr. Coues's authority for the name above assigned to it, which designates it as a geographical variety of our European Hen Harrier, C. cyaneus. It is occasionally seen in Bermuda in the autumn. One was shot by Mr. Pooley, 20th Regiment, in 1845, and one by Mr. Hurdis in December, 1851. Mr. Bartram has a male and two female specimens. As might have been expected, he was somewhat unwilling to believe that they were of the same species. A female was picked up dead in Warwick parish in November, 1874, by a "coloured" boy, who showed it to me, too late for preservation unfortunately.

Accipiter fuscus, Sharp-shinned Hawk.— Major Wedderburn has a specimen in his collection, shot near Penniston's Fond on the 23rd February, 1853, and Mr. Bartram has another, shot by himself near Stock's Point.

Astur atricapillus, American Goshawk.—I examined two specimens in Mr. Bartram's collection, the only ones that have occurred.