Catalogue of the birds of Grenada, from a collection made by Mr. Fred. A. Ober for the Smithsonian Institution, including others seen by him, but not obtained

(1)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 265

does not exist in the sonthern parts of

New York

or Pennsylvania.

DeKaj^

statesthatitis foundin thenorthern parts of Virginia

and

Ken- tucky.

We,

however, sought foritwithout successinthe mountainsof Virginia,

and

couldnever hear ofitsexistenceinKentuck3\"

Professor Baird states* that the species is found as far south as l!forthernPennsylvania in

some

localities^in which State ^it isnot rare even now.

Mr. J.A. Allen, themost recent writer on thei)orcnpines, remarks,!

that Professor Shaler

had

failed to hearof thespecies in

Kentucky and

Virginia.

He was

informed

by

Dr. J.

M. Wheaton

that a few ])orcu- l^ines still survive in Clark, Champaign, and Eoss Counties, Ohio,

and

thatit

was common

tenyears since in

Putnam County

;

and by

Mr.E.

W.

Nelson that the si^ecies

was

formerly rather

common,

thoughnever abundant, inallofthe

wooded

region north of theOhio liiver, butthat

it isnot

now

found (westofOhio) south of theforestsofNorthern Wis- consin

and

NorthernMichigan.

December12, 1878.

CATAliOGUE OF TME BIRDS OF

<,}RFXAOA,

FROM A

€Or,ff>.E<

TION MADE BY MK.

FK!!:D.A. OOtER

FOR

TUBE SiTJHTTDISOXDA.'V DIVSTITIJ.

TION,IIV€l,UDa:^CJ

OTEIERS

SKEJV

SY

^HDITI,

BUT NOT OBTAINED.

By OEOKGE

^N.

LA^^^REl^CE.

Inray Catalogue ofthe Birds of St. Vincent, I stated thatMr.

Ober

expected toleave thatisland for

Grenada

onthe29thofFebruary.

He

must

have left about that time, as

some

of his notes from

Grenada

are dated early in March. His collection from there

was

received at the Smithsonian Institutionon the22d of Maj',

and

sent to

me

a fewdays

after. Itconsists ofbut60specimens.'

In the followingcommunication fromMr. Ober,hegivesthegeograph- icalposition oftheisland,with othermatters ofinterest.

Under

most of the species found there, are his notes of their habits, etc.

His communications are

marked

withinvertedcommas.

"Grenada, the southernmost of the volcanic islands, lies just north of the 12th degree of latitude north of the equator,that parallel just touchingits southernj)oint.

"_It _is about 18^ miles in length, from N. N. E. to S. S.W.,

and

_7^

milesinbreadth.

"

From

Kingston, the principal

town

in St.Vincent, to St.Georges, that of Grenada, the distanceis 75 miles^; fromthe southern endof St.

Vincentto thenorthernjjoint of

Grenada

the distance isGOmilesj the intervening spacebeingoccupied

by

the Grenadines.

*MammalsofNorthAmerica, 1859,p.568.

tMonographsofNorthAmerican Kodentia,byElliottCouesand JoelAsaphAllen, 1877, p. 393.

(2)

266 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

"It is veryrugged, the interior of tlie island "being one mountain

cliainwithitsoffsets,

and

thereis aless area offertilelandthanin St.

Vincent.

The

valleysthat

make up

fromthe coast,

and

thelevelslying betweenthehills

and some

portions ofthecoast,however, areveryfer- tile. Itisnot a promisingisland for ornithological research,thoughat

fii'stglanceit

would seem

tobeable to affordrichreward.

"

The

moiuitainsintheinteriorarevolcanic; there are several extinct craters, inthelargest ofwhichis anattractive lake, 2,000feetabovethe sea; it is 2^ miles ⁱⁿ circumference

and

has

an

average depth of 14 feet. St. Georges, the onlyi»ort of any size, lies

on

the southwestern coast,

and

ishighly picturesquein location, but notso attractive inthe eyesofanornithologist asit might be; thesurrounding hiUsarerocky,

and

thosenot rockyare cultivated, so that they are inhabited

by

very fewbirds.

"Acrossthe

bay

fromthe town,on theborders ofthe 'lagoon,' which

isfringedwith mangroves,

may

be foundafew water birds,

and

inthe slopingpasturesatthefootofthehighhillsa smallvarietyofthe smaller birds.

"

The

southernpoint. PointSaline,isanexcellentplaceforthe migra- torybirds: plover, duck, etc.,which visit this islandin quantities,

and some

pointsonthe eastern coastare equally good.

"I

spenttwoweeks

m and

^near^St. Georges

and

St.Davids,

and

two

weeks

in themountains

and on

the easterncoast.

"As

this island isso near the South

American

continent, being but 100 milesfrom Trinidad

and

70 miles from Tobago, I expected to find

some

formsof animallife differentfrom th(5sein the northern islands

among

theresident species.

But

withthe exception of

now and

then a stragglerbeing

blown

totheseshores, thereisno species(if

we may

ex- cepttwo) thatwouldindicateproximityto a greattropicalcountrj'.

"

Some

species

common

in thenorthern islands,from Guadeloupe to St.Vincent,havedisappeared,

and

inoneor

two

cases their placestaken

by

others; notablyisthisthe caseinthe instance of Eidam])isjugularis beiQg replaced

by

GlauclsMrsutiis.

"Thereisnoparrot as inSt. Vincent,

and

the

two

speciesof thrush, locally

known

asthe ^'grives^'

—

Margaropsdcnsirostris

and M.

montanus

—

donotexist here. Other minordifferencesoccur, whichwillbe apparent ui>on examiningthe catalogue.

"

The

mostinteresting factregarding the higher order of animallife, istheexistence here ofan armadillo,once

common

in allthe Lesser

An-

tilles,but

now

extinct in allthe northernislands.

"A

speciesof

monkey

also lives in the deepforestsofthemountains;

askin of one has beensenttothe

Museum.

"

The

most interesting portionis undoubtedlythat of themountains immediatelyadjacent tothemountain lake; but,if itwerepossible for a naturalist to spend anentire yearia theisland, doubtlessthe

more

southern portionwould reward

him

better in species^: forthe season of

(3)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 267

migrationwouldj^robablybring

mnny

stragglersfromthecontinent,that donot

make

a longer staj'than afewdays.

"Itis onlya matterofregretwith

me

thatIcouldnot give therequi- site timeto this island during the ^'winter

months

'. I

am

satisfied, however, that thefewresident species are

now

^fullyknown.

"

FBEDEEICK

A.

OBEE.

"

My

thanks aredueto

Wm.

Sharpe,Esq.,

Wm.

Simmons,Esq., Dr.

Wells,

Canon Bond

of St.

Andrews and John

Grant Wells, Esq., for coui'tesies

shown

me."

Fam. TURDID^.

1. Turdus nigrirostris Lawr.

"Thrush

('Grive').

"Length, S^, 9 in.; alarextent, 15:^^; wing,5.

" Length, 9, 9in.; alarextent,14J^; wing, 4f

.

"In thedeep

woods

one

may

bestartled

by

alownote ofalarm from

this bird, like the smgle cluck of the Mocking-bird of the Southern States. Searching carefully,

you may

discover the authorof it sitting

upon

alow^tree, with

head

protruded, eagerlyexamining the surround- ingsforthecause of thenoiseyourcoming makes. Discovering you,it hastily

makes

off,Avitha partingcluck. Its song isoften heardiu the highwoods, strangenotes,^'fee-ow,fee-oo,'etc.,oftenreijeated. Anothei cryit has

when

alighting

and

unexpectedlydiscoveringyourpresence, similar tothe cry of the Eobin asheard atevening time in spring

—

a

harsh cry mingled withsofter notes. Ihave only found^it in thehigh

forests. It

must

be

weU

^alongⁱⁿ the nestingperiod,judgingfrom the condition of thosedissected."

I

was much

pleased to findfour specimensof thisspecies in thecol- lection, asbut one

was

obtained in St.Vincent,

and

that

had

theplum- age

somewhat

soiled. These are in good condition

and more

mature

:

theyhavethecolor ofthe throat asoriginally described, Lc,thefeathers ofa dullwhite,with shaft-stripes of

brown

; there are norufous termi- nations to the wing-coverts, as in the St. Vincent specimen;

and

the irregular rufous-brown markings on the upper part of the breast, as seeninthat,areonlyjustperceptiblein

two

of the specimens: theyhave the breast

and

flanksofa darkershadeof

brown

: the bills of theseare notso dark throughoutas inthetype

—

^shading^into

brown

^on^their^ter-

minal halves^: this difference of colorisdoubtless attributable to age.

2. Turdus carribeeus,Lawr. Ann.N. Y.^Acatl.ofSci.toL1,p. 160.

" Thrush.

"Length,9^in.; alarextent, 15J; wiug, ^5.

"Iris wine-red;

naked

sldn around the eye, f uich wide, yellow;

beakolive-green, tippedwith yellow. I

am

positive thatI heard this birdin St. Vincent,butonlyonce,

and

didnotobtain, orevenfairlysee

it. Itscryispeculiar,and once heard couldnotbemistaken. Itresem-

(4)

268 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

bles the cry of the Wliippoorwill in the moruiug, just as it utters the 'poor-will',

and

justpreceding the finalcluck. It

was

not a stretchof the iraagination, either, to fancy a crylike^'hoto de dew^ (asuttered

by

thecountry gentleman

when

salutingan acquaintance), with the stress

upon

^deic. ^It has ^also,

when

alarmed or

when

threading a strange thicket,thesoft call-noteof the Thrushes, similar to that ofthegriveor Mountain Thrush. It inhabits the thick growth of old pastures, and seems to prefer the dark recesses beneath the overhanging trees

and

bushesofthehillsidesonthe bordersoftheoi)ens."

3.

Mimus

^gilvus,^Vieill.

"Mocking-bu^d.

"Length, <?, 9^^in,^; alar extent, 14; wing, _4^.

"Eatlier plentifullydistributedon the hills sloping seaward; found also well

up

thesides of the mountains,but notin the highwoods, nor far

away

fiomcleared land."

Fam. TEOGLODYTIDaE.

4. Thryothorusgrenadensis, Lawr. Ann.N. Y.Acad, ofSci. v. _1,p. 161.

"Wren;

'God-bird.'

"Length, <?, 5 in.; alarextent, 7; wing, 2^.

"

A

sprightly bird, foundin houses inthe country,in theforests

and

inthe towns.

"_Itssongis a pleasing warble,

and

this, with itsbrightways,

make

ita welcomevisitor.

The

blackswilleatnearlyevery birdbutthis

and

the corheau; butthis, theysay,

'make you

dead,' foritisGod'sbird.

"Found

anoldnestinthe houseat

Grand

Etang, butthe

young had

gone ('it

make

child, but he go'), I

was

told.

They

were hatched in February.

A

nest under the veranda

now

has four young, recently hatched.

Going down

to examhie

them

one day,Ifound one of

them had

about four inches of a 'God's horse' ('Walking-stick') (Phas- mida) protradingfromitsmouth.

The

nestisofdriedgrass,lined with feathers.

Had

itnot been thatthese littlebeggars excited feelings of compassion in

my

breast, Iwould have

added

the old ones to

my

collection,

weU knowing

thatthey

would

be valuableacquisitions."

Fam. SYLVICOLIDiE.

5. Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.).

"

Only

oneseen. This

was

shot, butlostinthe thickmattingof the loose leaves that covered the ground. It

was

near the borderof the mountainlake."

Fam. VIREONID^.

6. Vireosylviacalidrisvar.dominicana, Lawr.

"Vireosylvia.

"Length, <?, 6in.; alar extent, 10; wing,_3f.

(5)

"Length,

9,6

^m.; ^alar^extent,9_J^; wing, _3^.

"Through

the

woods came

a strangely familiar note, 'peow, peow'.

The

bii'dI couldnot discoveratfirst,but thoughtIdetecteda noteakin,

and was

confinned thatit

was

anoldacquaintance of Dominica

and

St.

Vincent,

when

^I

had

it in

my

hand. jSTotveryabundant."

Fam. HIRUNDINID^.

7. Progne dominicensis (Gm.)?

'''Progne.

"

One

species seen, but never within shot; to all appearance, it

was

identical with that obtainedin St. Vincent."

Fam. GGEREBID^.

8. Certhiola atrata, Lawr.

"Certli ioJa. Scarce. Resident.

"Length, (?, 4^în.; âlar êxtent, 7f^; wing,_2|.

"Thisbird is notfoundingreatnumbers, as in

some

of the northern islands; indeed, Ihaveseenitbuttwice

—

^on^the

mangrove

^fiats^of^Point

Saline,whereitshabitswere ingreat contrast to thoseof its northern congeners, beingshy

and

retired, whileinotherislandsbold

and

obtru- sive."

Fam. TANAGRID^.

9. Euphonia flavifrons (Spami.),

"Louis d'Or. Eare. Eesident.

"Length, ⁵ ^in.; alarextent, _8;^; wing,2^.

"_Ihavenot seenthisbird here alive. These specimens wereshot

by

A. B. Wells,Esq., ofSt.Davids. Itis noteasilydiscovered,

more

from

its rarity than from its shyness. Frequents the skirtsof

woods and nutmeg

groves."

10. Calliste versicolor,Lawr.

" Sour-sop

Bml. Abundant.

Eesident.

"Length, (?,6Jin.; alarextent, 9J; wing,3.

"Length, $, 6 in.; alar extent, 9^; wing, _3^.

"

Though

in St.

Vmcent

I

saw

the bird only in small

numbers and

solelyin themountains, hereitiseverywhere.

The same

chatteringcry, noisy in feeding, calling one to another, gregarious,is greedy in its

search for food, a flock of from 8-12

may

be seen

swarming

over a smalltreeorbush. Itisverypartial tothe seed of theSour-sop,which givesititslocalapi)ellation. Itis

now

nesting."

Fam. FRINGILLID^.

11. Loxigilla noctis (Liun.).

"Length, <?, 5^^in.; alarextent, 8J; wing, _2f.

"Length, 9,5^in.; alarextent, 8f^; wing, _2f.

"

One

ofthemost

common

birds,second onlytothe small 'grassbird' {Phonijpat'a Mcolor).''^

(6)

270 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

12. Phoniparabicolor (Linn.).

^^Plionipam hicolor. ^'Si Si Zerbe.'

"Everywhere

abundant, so

common

in fact tliat, thinking I could obtainit at anytime, I devoted

my

attention to other rarer bu\ls,

and

finallyleftwithout a specimen."

Fam. ICTEEID^.

13. Quiscalus luminosus, Lawr. Ann. N.Y.Acad, ofSci. v, 1,^ji. 1G2.

"Blackbu'd. Eesident.

"Length, ^c?, lOJin.; ^alar^extent, 15J; wing, ^5.

"Length, 9^, 9^în.^; âlarêxtent, 14; wing, 4f

.

"This birdfirst occurs in the Grenadines. It has seldom beenseen in St.

Ymcent,

although abnndant on the small islands of Balliceaux

and

Bequia.

The

latter is not ten milesdistant. Itisthere calledthe

'Bequia Sweet',fromitsnotes: '

Beqma

sweet, sweet.'

"_It_is _social, gregarious, seeming to delight in company, spendinga great part of the

day

in sportive play.

The

first I

saw

werein Balli- ceaux,oneof thenorthernmostofthe Grenadines. I

was

struckwith the similarity ofa habit oftheirs to oneoftheBoat-tailed GrakleofFlorida

and

the South, asI

had

observeditonthebanksofthe St.John'sRiver.

A

^party ^of

them had come down

to drink at a small poolin one of the pastures. Afterdrinking,eachmalewoidd^liftitsbeaki)erpendicnlarly, spread outitswings

and

oneleg,

and

giveutterance to ajoyouscry, as thoughgi\'ing thanks for the enjoyment affordedby the drink.

Then

thewhole crewwouldjoin ina generaloutbiu'st,bothfemales andmales.

Then

theywouldadjoiu-n to anear fencerail,

and

keep

up

a socialcon- versation, stretching their legs

and

wings

and

showing their glossy feathers tothesun.

The

air

would

thenresound wdth^the^cries,^said

by

theislanders to be, ^'Bequia sweet, sweet, sweet.' That

was

inFebru- ary.

Though

I then exi)ected to get

them

to send

home

with the St.

Vincent collection,I

was

tlisappointed, as our boat

was smashed

on a neighboring rock next day,

and we

were picked

up and

carried toSt.

Vincentwithout anopportunityfor gettingthe birds.

" In

Grenada

I found

them

in abundance again, tiying in flocks

and

inhabiting exclusively the lowlands, the

swamps and

borders of the lagoons. _It _is easily attracted

by

unusual sounds, as I once proved while hunting Yellow-crowned Night Heronsin asw^amp onthe eastern coast,

by

calling around

me

not less than forty,

who

filledthe bushes

and

treesaround

and

above me, staying a long while.

"Think

itis exclusivelyconfinedto

Grenada and

the Grenadines."

Fam TYRANNID^.

14. Elainea martinica(Linn.).

"Flycatcher. Eesident. Eather numerous.

"Length, ^, 7f ^in.; alar extent, 11; wing, _3f.

"Length, _9, _Gf in.; alar extent, 10^; wing, 3^J.

(7)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 271

15. Myiarchusoberi,Lawr.

" Flycatclier.

Not

abundant.

"Length, c?, 9 in.j alar extent, 13; wing, ₄J.

"Length, 2_, 8|; ahir extent, 12^-5 wing,4.

16. Tyrannus rostratus, Scl.

"_T. _rostratus. Eesident.

Abundantly

distributed.

"Length, <?, 10in.; alarextent, 15|; wing, 5.

"Length, 9, 9 in.; alar extent, 14f^; wing, _4f.

" Occurringat all altitudes, but preferring the lowlands, openfields,

and

hills. Delightsin ashrubwith bare protruding prongs,oranopen- foliaged tree like the trumpet tree

and

bread fruit. Its cryis ashrill

'piperee,piperee_';henceitsname. Esx^ecially partialtothetallcabbage

palm

(palmistes),

making

its

home

inthefronds,

and

darting thenceupon

any

passinginsect.

"More

abundantin Antigua than elsewhere. Its large flat bill,the concealedflushesof yellowbeneaththe wings,

and

the beautiful silken feathers of saffron

and

crimson concealed in the crown,

make

it an interesting specimen in the hand, thoughit isa very ordinary looking bird asseeninactivity."

17. Tyrannusmelancholicus,Vicill.

"Tyrannus ^.

The

firstseen.

"Length, <?, 9in.; alar extent, 14J; wing, 43.

"The

firstbirdof this species shotseemedfatiguedfrom a long^flight,

and

Ithought^it

must

have

come

from another island,

Tobago

orTrini- dad. Ithas never been seen

by

those

who

observe the birds of the island. I stillthinkit a stragglerfromTobago."

Two

specimens are inthecollection. This

and

the following species {GlmicisJdrsiitns) aretheonlySouth

American

formsthatwereprocured, showing

how

strictly this an'd the islands north ofitare definedasa distinct zoological province. In the islands to the south, viz,

Tobago and

Trinidad, thebirds assimilate tothose ofthe South^Vmerican continent.

Fam. TROCHILID.^.

18. Glaucis hirsutus(Gm.).

"Brown Hummer. (New

to me.)

"Length, ^, 5Jin.; alarextent,Gf^; wing, _2J.

"Length, _9, 5^in.; alar extent,C^; wing, 2^.

" Thisspecies entirely replacesthe Garnet-throat

{Eulanqm

jugularis), of whichlatterI havenot seen a single specimen. This oneisconfined tothe

same

haunts,viz, thecool depthsofthe high woods, andisnever seeninthevalleys or belowthelast ring of highcliffs

and

forest-trees.

So closely does the

plumage

of this

hummer

assimilatewith the color of thefallen leaves, dryas well as green, that I lost

my

^firstspecimen

and

foundthe othersonly

by

longsearch."

(8)

272 PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

19. Eulampis holosericeus (Linn.)-

"Green-throat. ^'^Colibri.' Scarce.

"Leiig'th, 9,5in.; alar extent, 6 J^; ""'ing, 2^.

"_Feeding-from the crimsonflowers of a

hnge

cactus, I

saw

this

hum-

ming-hird this morning,inahedge

row

bordering theroadtoSt.Davids.

It does not occurinthe abundancethatI findofthe small crested

hum-

mer,

and

Ihavenot seen itinthemountains."

20. Orthorynchus cristatus (Liun.).

"_0.exilis ?

March

16th.

''Length, S, 3f^in.; ^alar^{extent, 5;} wing, 2.

"

The

crestseemsbrighter

and

deeperthanin those of Dominica

and

St.Vincent. It is distributed profusely throughout highwoods,hills,

uppervalleys,

and

sea-coast; everywhereI see its glancing crest, hear the whirring ofitswings. Just a yearagoIfound anestin Dominica

;

hereinthe mountains theyhavenot yetbuilt their nests, though it is possiblethey

may

have

commenced

in the lowlands.

They

are in the thickets between the

Grand Etang and

the deepwoods,visiting the different flowers so frequently that it seems to

me

they

must

be ex- haustedof sweets

and

insects."

Fam. CYPSELIDJ^.

21. Chaeturasp.?

"I

was

lurfortunatewith this bird, never gettingone within range.

Itisof the

same

shape, size,

and

colorof thespecies obtainedin Domi-

nica.

Only

one si)eciesseen."

Fam. ALCEDINID^.

22. Ceryle alcyon (Liun.).

" Length, <?, 12^in.; alar extent, 20J^; wing, ₆J.

"

Though

nearly ayearhas passedsince I first

saw

the Kingfisher of theseislands(in Dominica),this isthe firstisland inwhich Ihave been able to shoot one. It is veryshy,

and somehow

I have alwaysjust missedit, in Dominicaas well as St.Vincent,inneither ofwhichislands is itplentiful;

and

it

was

only

by

themostartful

bushwhacking

that I atlastgotthisone.

Not

abundant; resident."

Fam. CUCULID^.

23. Coccyzus minor (Gm.).

"'Cuckoo

manioc'

Abundant;

resident.

"Length,

^,12

^J^in.; alar extent,IG^; wing,5i.

"

The

harshcry, resembling

somewhat

that of theYellow-billed Cuc- koo,

may

be heardalmost

any

day,proceeding from the low growth of

some

overgrownimsture or hiUside.

(9)

^'

Of

unsuspicious demeanor,this birdwill allowanear approach; if it flies,itisbutforashort distance, toalowtreeor thick shrub,whcro,

if unmolested,it hops about with ai)parently aimless intent, though keepingagoodlookoutforitsfood, butterflies, moths,etc.

"

Very common

onthehillside

beyond

the Carenage."

24. Crotophaga ani, Linn.

"'Corbeau.'

Abundant

; resident.

" Length, _^, 15 in,; alarextent, 17^; wing, 0.

"Length, ₉, 14in.; alarextent, IG^; wing, _5i.

"Called the <Tick-bird' in St. Vincent; here the 'Corbeau', French forEaven. Said tohave been blownoverfromTrinidadin agale

somo

years ago. Ithasincreased wonderfully; not heldin favorablerepute

;

eats ticks, bugs, etc.,butalso eats corn

and

guinea-grass grain.

The same

stupid unsuspicious bii-d everywhere; breeds abundantly; gregarious.

Where

one goes

and

persistentlycalls,therestoftheflock,from to 12, willsurely follow. In atree orbushtheycluster closetogether

;

have a squeakingcry.

"

They

build a large loose nest,

and

layiniteggsof a greenish color.

A

curious habitof theirs is to build a second nest

upon

one already fdledwith eggs.

The

only nestIhave examined

had

not a fullcomple-

ment

of eggs,

and

Icannottelljust

what number

theylay."

Fam. STRIGID^.

25. Strixflammeavar.nigrescens, L.awr.

"

Owl

; '

Jumbie

Buxl.' Eare.

"Length, ^, 12 in.; alar extent, 30J; wing, ^10.

" Indifferentpartsofthe island arethetowers of ancientwind-mills, which, invarious stages of ruin

and

dilapidation, are going to decay.

Being

made

of stone,

and

generallycoveredwith ivy

and

running^'ines,

without roof

and

fullof holes, theyoffer excellent places of abodefor the owls,

and

there is rarely a ruin without its occupant to frighten thenegroesto theverge ofinsanitywithitsnocturnal hootings.

From

asuperstitious dreadof the ^'

Jumbie

bird,'

and

fromthefactthat these old mills are well

hung

with thenests of ^'Jack Spaniard^'

—

a wasp, itis difBcult toget a negroto climbintoatower to dislodge theowl.

"_I

am

indebtedfor thisonetoMr.Goddard,the

manager

of the Estate of Clarke'sCourt."

Fam. FALCONID^.

26. Paudionhalisetus (Linn.).

"An

infrequentwintervisitoronthe east orAtlanticcoast."

27. Buteo pennsylvanicus(Wils.).

"Length, ₉,15iin.; alar extent, 35^; wing, 11.

"At

thistime (March25)it isengaged inincubation.

Not

abundant;

resident."

Proc.Nat. Mus. ⁷⁸ 18

Feb. 13,18 79.

(10)

28. Tinnunculussparveriusvar.antillarum(Gm.).

"

Very

rare, and, so far as I can ascertain, confined to the eastern

Fam. FREGATIDyE.

29. Fregataaquila(Linn.).

"Breeds on tlierocks north

and

northeast ofGrenada, sparingly,but in increasednumbers on

some

of the smaller Grenadines."

Fam. PH^THONID^.

30. Phaethonaethereus, Liun.

"Cannot

tell if it breeds in Grenada,but

am

of the opinion that it does.

The

specimens obtainedin the northernGrenadineswereincluded in the St.Vincentcatalogue."

Fam. PELECANIDiE.

31. Pelecanus fuscus(Linn.).

"Breeds on the rocks north of

Grenada

as well as throughout the Grenadines."

32. Sula fiber (Linn.).

"Inhabits the rocks off the northern coast.

Most

plentiful in the Grenadines."

Fam. ARDEID^.

33. Ardea herodias,I^inn.

"Extremelywild. I have seen it on different occasions,

and

inthe differentislands indifferentmonths,

and

pronounceitastraggUngresi-

.

dent(ifthisterm beallowable), thatis,oneortwo

may

remain afterthe springmigrations

and may

breed, though Ihave heardof no authentic instance ofits breeding."

34. Garzetta candidissima(Gm.).

"

'Gaulin blanc'

"Length, 23in.; alar extent, 37^; wing, 11.

"

The

abundance of this speciesis in strikingcontrast to its scarcity in St. Vincent. This

may

bo attributed tothe increased extentof low wetland,swamps,

and

lagoons.

"Only

Antiguaexceeds thisisland inthe

number

ofthis species.

As

in Dominica

and

the other French-speaking islands, it is called the

'Gaulinblanc', andtheheroninthe blue

plumage

^'Gaulinnoir'or^'bleu\ This issecondinpoint of

numbers

oftheherons,the^'Gaulinbleu' third,

and

the yellow-crowned fourth.

The

B. virescensisthe most

numerous

ofthe whole. Itbreeds in the

mangroves

bordering the lagoonlaterin the season."

135. Floridacaerulea(Linn.).

"Itisnot so

common

as the'Gaulin blanc'

and

exceedingly shy."

(11)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 275

36. Butorides virescens(Liun.)-

"Length, J^,¹⁸ ^in.; alar extent, 2o; wing, 7.

"As my

boat skirted the iiinge of

mangroves

bordering the lagoon acrossthebay from St. Georges,itousted

numbers

ofthissmall species.

They

would flyalittleways, thendiveintothedeep foliageofthemau- groAcs, where averyclose inspection might detect it crawling

among

the spider-like roots, or threading its

way

through the mesh-work of aerial suckers seeking the mud.

When

^started

by

the boator gun,it

gaveutteranceto itsgutturalcry,

and

as

we moved

along,the crackling

and

shutting of oystershellsaccompanied us throughout."

37. Nyctiardeaviolacea(Liun.).

"A

veryshy

and

cautious bird, inhabiting the

swamps

near thesea- coast. Ihaveat dilferenttimeswaited for hoursfor a shot-at itinthe deep mangroves, whichitloves to frequent."

Fam. PLATALEID^.

38. Plataleaajaja(Linn.).

"

A

^very^rare^migrant, said to have beenseen here."

Fam. COLUMBID^.

39. Columbacorensis,Gm.

"'Bamier.'

"Length, S, 16 in.;alar extent, 26.}; wing, 9.

"Iarrivedatthe

Grand

Etang,the lakeinthemountains, aboutnoon

;

withinan hour, the only

man

livuig there started with

me

aroundthe lake. Afterwalkinghalfan hourorso,

we

reachedcomi)arativelyopen woods, the trees thick

and

veryhigh.

We

heard a pigeon coo,

and

after

some

time found

him

perched on the topmost branchof a tall 'figuer' tree, so high

up

that I at first mistook

him

for a 'grive'.

At

thei-eportof

my

gun,hestarted wildly, flew afew yards upward,

and

thenfellhurtling through theair,strikhig theground withathud. Hio crop

was

fullof hard seeds,largeassmallbullets.

They

seemtobein these

woods

in goodnumbers."

"They

are

now

(March 12th) mating. In November, December,

and

January,they visit the islands off the coastin greatnumbers, and aie saideven to extend their flighttoTobago, inwhich latterisland they arenotresident."

40. Zenaidamartinicana,Bp.

"'Tourterelle.'

Not

plentiful.

"Length, (?, 11}^in.; alar extent, 18; wing, G^.

"Length, 9, 11in.; alar extent, 17; wing,G.

"In

themangroves bordering the

bay

of'Clarke's Court' estate,near the southern endoftheisland, Ifoundthisdove. It

was

nearnoonof a very hot day, as the

manager

and anotherfriend accompanied

me

into

(12)

thedeep shadeof the'inang' (asit

was

called),wheretheiniid

was

half knee-deep,

and

stagnant pools crossed the ^surface.

At

that time the doves

came

in from the surrounding ^hills for the shade,

and we

did verywellwith

them and

the

Ground

^Doves,as a dish^of

them

at dinner

amply

testified. Itis ahundantoutside of these

mangrove swamps;

it

prefersthe vicinage ^ofthe sea-coast."

41. Chameepeliapasserina(Liun.).

"^'

Ground

Dove.'

Abundant

;resident.

"Length, 3, G^in.; alarextent, 10^; wing, _3J.

"Length, 9,Giin.; alarextent, 9;wing,3|.

"Among

allthedryhills aboutSt.George'sthislittle dovecanbeseen

and

heard. It frequents the pastures,the cane-fields, and, in the heat of the day, the

mangroves

for shade. Equally abundant on the east coast."

42.Geotrygonmontana (Liun.).

"'Perdix.'

"I saw

several of this species in theforest around the

Grand

Etang,

and

shota finefemale, which

was

unfortunatelylost. Bj^

some

strange mischance, Idid notfinally succeedin seeming

any

specimens.

"

They

^are exactlythe

same

ⁱⁿ size

and

coloring asthose of Dominica

and

St. Vincent. I discovered

two

nests, each containing

two

eggs.

They

choose strange placesfortheir nests, generally placing

them upon some

greatparasite, attachedto a small tree, 4-Gfeetfrom the ground.

Upon

a slight coveringof leaves theylaytwo coffee-coloredeggs; the seasonforincubationis

March and

April."

Fam. RALLIDiE.

43. Gallinula galeata (Lielit.).

"Gallinide.

Not common;

resident.

"Length, 9,14iin.; alar extent, 21; wing, ^7."

44. Porzana?

45. Fulica?

" This

was

described asoccurring inthe volcanic lake near the north coast; alsotheprecedingspecies."

Fam. CHARADRIIDiE.

46. Charadriusvirginicus, Borkh.

"At

time of migration."

Fam. SCOLOPACIDiE.

47. Tringoides macularius(Linn.).

" Sandpiper.

" Length, i_, 7^^in.^; alar extent, 12^^; wing, 4^.

(13)

"Shoton tlieeastcoast^; frequents the coastand riversinsmall

num-

bers

and

seems tobearesident."

48. Numenius hudsonicus(Latli.)?

''Attimeof migration."

Fam. LARID^.

49. Anous stolidus (Linn.).

''The

Koddy

Tern."

50. Sternamaxima, Bodd.

"_>S^. cayenensis.^'' 51. sternadougalli, Mont.

52. Sternafuliginosa, Gm.

53. Larus^atricilla, ^Linn.

"This

and

the preceding four speciesof ternbreedin the smaller of the Grenadines, principally

upon

thesouthern coast."

Fam. PODICIPITID^.

54. Podiceps?

"Po(Ziceps.

"Not

seen

by

me, but described with sufficient accuracy to identify

itas a PodicepsP

"It

was

greatly

my

desire tovisit the curious volcaniclake, near the northeastern coast, which is said tobe wellsuppliedwithwater-fowl.

Strangeasit

may

seem,in anislandblack with negroes, I could getno one totransport

my

necessary equipments, nor couldI get ahorseto carry

me

until too lateforthe purpose."

"

The

Grenadines

!

" Consistof small islets

and

rocks forming achain betweenSt. Vin- centonthe north

and Grenada

onthe south. Unlikethe other islands, they are notvolcanic,havelittleelevation, no runningstreams, and are ratherbarren.

"Bequia, Mustique, Cannouan,

and

Carriacou are the largest,

and some

portions of these' islands are cultivated.

The

inhabitantssubsist principally

upon

fish.

Some

cottonisraised; alsosugar.

"

From

their conformation and fromtheirbarrenness itwillbereadily seen that thebirds characteristic of the larger islandscannotbe found here.

The Ground Dove

{Chammpeliapasserina)

and

the Turtle

Dove

{Zeiiaida martinicana)arevery abundant, as thelow scrub,withwhich a great partof theislands are covered, aftbrd

them

protection

and

food, whilethe shallow water-holes give

them

thelittle necessarydrmk.

(14)

"The

Blackbird {QuiscaUis lumi)iosiis) isveryabundant.

The Cuckoo

manioc {Coccyzusminor)is alsofound here, aswell asthe Certhiolasp.?, the small Si)aiTOW [Fhonipara^hicolor),theMocking-bird

{Mimus

ffilvus),

theGreen Heron^{Butondesvirescens),

and

theChicken

Hawk

[Buteo penn- sylrameus). Inoneof the islands, Union, the Cockrico {Ortalida ruji-

cauda) hasbeen successfully introduced,

and some

attemi^tshave been

made

withthe

American

Quail {OrtyxVirginianus).

Some

ofthe islands are inprivatehands,

and

have beenstocked^^ithdeer

and

goats,which, haviugbecomethoroughlywild, afford excellenthunting.

"

The

sea birdsfrequent the small islands, and theoutlying rocks of thelarger, in mjTiads, wheretheybreed.

"The

LittleCrested

Humming-bird

of

Grenada and

St.Vincent^is^also foundin theGrenadines."

Ni:wYoniv,December 10, 1878.

OiXTIIK BBKEDBIVC: lIABIirS

OF

TOOK

SEA-CATFISH

(ABflOPSIS ITOILBEBTB?).

By PKOF.

N. T.

ILUPTOIV.

Vanderbilt Univeesity,

Nashville, Tenn., February 19, 1877.

Prof.

Spencer

F.

Baird

:

About

the middleofJuly, 18G8,whileon avisit toMobile, Ala., Iac-

companied a party of friends on afishing excursion to Fish IJiver, a small stream on the eastern sideof Mobile Bay,

some

25 miles below thecity. Thisrivernear its

mouth

widens out,

formmg

Berwicks Bay, a sheetof water about three miles wide

by

four in length. This Ber- wicks

Bay

isafavorite fishing-ground,beingthe resort,especially after astorminthe Gulf, of

immense

schools of mullet.

A

great varietyof other fish, such as thecroaker, trout,redfish, &c.,

abound

in thisbay.

Captain

Wemyss, who owned

^it large saw-mill on the

bank

of the river,

and whose

hospitality

we

were enjoying,kindlyi)roposed to

show

us the different kinds of fishwhichfrequent these Avaters,

and

to this

endfurnished alarge seine

and

thenecessary force to

draw

it.

While

examiningthefish

my

attention

was

called toseveralcat,each about 10 inchesin length, whichseemed to havea wonderful develop-

ment

of thethroat.

On

examination, the enlargement

was

foundto bo caused

by

smallcatfish

and

eggs which were^{carried in}themouth.

From

the

mouth

of one I took out eleven small fish, each about .aninchin length,

and

from anothereight or nine eggs thesize of a small marble, the eyes of theembryoniccat showingdistinctlythrough the thin

mem-

brane enveloping the egg.

,

On

inquiry

made

ofseveral oldfishermenin the neighborhood, and of alarge

number

elsewhere, I have tailedto find one

who knew

anything