ock at a depth of forty-two feet below low-water mark, and that it
"rested on a bed of compact calcareous sandstone." Now it is quite certain
that this "calcareous sandstone" was never formed at the bottom of the deep
ocean 700 miles from land; and the occurrence of the red earth at different
levels upon coralline sand rock is therefore more probably due to some
process of decomposition of the rock itself, {266} or of the minute
organisms which abound in the blown sand.[55]

_Zoology of Bermuda._--As might be expected from their extreme isolation,
these islands possess no indigenous terrestrial mammalia, frogs, or
snakes.[56] There is however one lizard, which Professor Cope considers to
be distinct from any American species, and which he has named _Plestiodon
(Eumeces) longirostris_. It is said to be most nearly allied to _Eumeces
quinquelineatus_ of the south-eastern States, from which it differs in
having nearly ten more rows of scales, the tail thicker, and the muzzle
longer. In colour it is ashy brown above, greenish blue beneath, with a
white line black-margined on the sides, and it seems to be tolerably
abundant in the islands. This lizard is especially interesting as being the
only vertebrate animal which exhibits any peculiarity.

_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