_Birds._--Notwithstanding its small size, low altitude and {267} remote position, a great number of birds visit Bermuda annually, some in large numbers, others only as accidental stragglers. Altogether, over 180 species have been recorded, rather more than half being wading and swimming birds, whose presence is not so much to be wondered at as they are great wanderers; while about eighty-five are land birds, many of which would hardly be supposed capable of flying so great a distance. Of the 180 species, however, about thirty have only been seen once, and a great many more are very rare; but about twenty species of land birds are recorded as tolerably frequent visitors, and nearly half these appear to come every year. There are only eleven species which are permanent residents on the island--eight land, and three water birds, and of these one has been almost certainly introduced. These resident birds are as follows:-- 1. _Galeoscoptes carolinensis._ (The Cat bird.) Migrates along the east coast of the United States. 2. _Sialia sialis._ (The Blue bird.) Migrates along the east coast. 3. _Vireo novaeboracensis._ (The White-eyed green Tit.) Migrates along the east coast. 4. _Passer domesticus._ (The English Sparrow.) ? Introduced. 5. _Corvus americanus._ (The American Crow.) Common over all North America. 6. _Cardinalis virginianus._ (The Cardinal bird.) Migrates from Carolina southward. 7. _Chamoepelia passerina._ (The ground Dove.) Louisiana, W. Indies, and Mexico. 8. _Ortyx virginianus._ (The American Quail.) New England to Florida. 9. _Ardea herodias._ (The Great Blue Heron.) All North America. 10. _Gailinula galeata._ (The Florida Gallinule.) Temperate and tropical North America. 11. _Phaeeton flavirostris._ (The Tropic Bird.) It will be seen that these are all very common North American birds, and most of them are constant visitors from the mainland, so that however long they may have inhabited the islands there has been no chance for them to have acquired any distinctive characters owing to the want of isolation. Among the most regular visitants which are not resident, are the common N. American kingfisher (_Ceryle alcyon_), {268} the night-hawk (_Chordeiles virginianus_), the wood wagtail (_Siurus novaeboracensis_), the snow-bunting (_Plectrophanes nivalis_), and the wide-ranging rice-bird (_Dolichonyx oryzivora_), all very common and widespread in North America.