THE AUK:
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
ORNITHOLOGY.
Vol. xxn. April, 1905. No. 2.
SUMMER BIRDS IN THE BAHAMAS.
BY GLOVER M. ALLEN.
Plate I.
This is the third of a series of short papers on the results of
a visit 'to the northern Bahamas in July, 1904, made by the writer
in company with Mr. Thomas Barbour and Mr. Owen Bryant.
Notwithstanding that the birds of the Bahamas are now fairly
well known, the following account of the species observed during
our cruise among the cays and larger islands of the northern part
of the group is of interest partly because most of the ornithologi-
cal work in this region has been done in the winter and spring,
and partly because these northern islands are apt to be neglected
by visitors who pass at once to those of the more southern and
eastern groups. Indeed, the summer avifauna of Great Bahama
and the northeastern cays is very little known. Mr. F. M. Chap-
man, so recently as 189 1, wrote that of "Great Bahama we know
nothing ; no ornithologist has ever visited it."
l Later in the same
year, however, Cory 2 published a list of birds obtained by his
collector, C. S. Winch, at Great Bahama and Abaco, in March and
June. Mr. Robert Ridgway 3 listed the specimens obtained in
March and April from Abaco and the more southern islands by
1 Chapman : Amer. Naturalist, Vol. XXV, 1891, p. 536.
2 Cory: Auk, Vol. VIII, 1891, pp. 298, 350.
3 Ridgway : Auk, Vol. VIII, 1891, p. 333-339- .
I I A G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. lADr
the naturalists of the Fish Commission steamer 'Albatross,' and
Mr. J. L. Bonhote
l has also reported on a collection of birds
made during the winter of 1901-02 among the northern Bahamas.
From June 28 until July 28, the writer, in company with Messrs.
T. Barbour and O. Bryant, was engaged in studying the bird life
in the vicinity of Nassau and, more particularly, of Great Abaco,
Little Abaco, Great Bahama, and the chain of cays along the
northern shores of these latter islands. Altogether, some three
weeks were spent cruising among the northern Bahamas. During
the first week of August, Mr. Bryant also visited Andros, and a
few notes are here included based on his collections there.
Among the spongers or ' conchs ' of the northern Bahamas, the
larger islands,— Great Abaco, Little Abaco, Great Bahama,
—
are termed the 'Mainland,' while the fringe of small islands to
the north and east are the ' wind'ard ' cays, and those to the south
and west the 'leeward ' cays. The majority of the windward cays
are small islands but a few feet above tide-water, covered with
sand and supporting a tangled growth of scrubby bushes, palmet-
tos, and small trees, here and there bound together by matted
creepers. This is called ' coppet ' by the natives. Often there is
a narrow strip of more open ground just back of the beach, thinly
covered with coarse grass and weeds, though in other places a
thicket of mangroves may extend out to low-tide level or even
slightly beyond. Many of the smallest cays are simply jagged
rocks with a little grass growing here and there.
The larger ' main ' islands support extensive tracts of open pine
barrens, with a thick undergrowth of vines and bushes. Clear-
ings have been made here and there, and pineapples, sweet pota-
toes, sugar cane, and other subtropical products are grown on a
small scale, although the soil is thin and quickly becomes ex-
hausted. In certain parts of these larger islands a number of
deciduous trees thrive and often form a fairly respectable forest.
The seemingly barren cays afford a home for a large number of
birds. Sooty, Bridled, Noddy, and Roseate Terns nest in the
grass of the more open portions ; Wilson's Plovers haunt the sea
beach, and Nighthawks frequent the dry strip of open ground
1 Bonhote: Ibis, Ser. 8, Vol. Ill, 1903, p. 273-315.
Vol. XXII
1905
G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. 1 j r
just back of the shore. Among the thick growth of bushes are
to be found Honey Creepers, Thick-billed Vireos, Yellowthroats,
and the Bahama Mockingbird. Numbers of White-headed
Pigeons breed on some of the cays, while Bahaman Red-wings,
and Gray Kingbirds inhabit the edges of the thickets and the
mangrove swamps.
On the large islands, the pine woods afford a home for Blake's
and Hairy Woodpeckers, Pine Warblers, Bahaman Warblers, and
other species. Some birds are of common occurrence in nearly
all situations
;
for example, the Gray Kingbird, the two Hum-
mingbirds (in the northern islands), and Honey Creepers.
The resident avifauna of the Bahama Islands is of considerable
interest. Mr. Chapman, in his important paper on the origin of
this fauna, has distinguished four classes of resident species: (i)
those representing forms of general distribution, (2) those which
occur as island forms of continental species, (3) those of purely
West Indian origin, (4) represented by the Bahaman Swallow, a
genus peculiar to the group. He points out that although the
northernmost islands of the Bahama group are over one hundred
miles farther north than the southern point of Florida, and are
separated from that peninsula by only 60 miles of water, yet there
is almost no tendency on the part of the Bahaman species to cross
to the continent, and this notwithstanding that the 'prevailing
winds are favorable for such flights. One reason for the failure
of these island species to occur elsewhere is doubtless that many
of them are thicket frequenters and hence would rarely be blown
from their normal habitat. The uniform presence of many West
Indian species throughout the islands, even to the most northern
of the group, is a striking feature, and serves to emphasize the
distinctness of this fauna from that of the adjacent mainland.
Several of the species of birds common to the Bahamas as a
whole, show a tendency to become differentiated into local races
on some of the groups. Thus certain of the birds of the north-
ern Bahamas differ from the corresponding varieties of New
Providence and its immediately neighboring islands, so as to be
recognizable as distinct subspecies, but with one possible exception,
such birds do not differ subspecifically on the different islands of
this group. Thus the Hairy Woodpecker of Great Bahama, Little

Vol. XXI
1905
I G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. 117
Abaco, and Abaco is uniformly different from the true may-
nardi of New Providence. Spindalis zena townsendi is the Spin-
dalis of the northern group. It occurs on the larger islands, and
is quite distinct from true zena of the more southern islands. The
Abaco Pine Warbler is the same as that found among the pine
woods of Great Bahama, and is represented on New Providence
by the quite distinct race achrustera. Tanner's Yellowthroat is to
be found in summer throughout the bushy parts of the larger
islands and cays of the northern Bahamas, and was the only
Yellowthroat we found. It is not known to occur elsewhere. The
reason for this homogeneity among birds of the northern Bahamas
is doubtless that the land masses are practically contiguous or
only separated from one another by slight stretches of quiet water,
while between them and the more southern groups (New Provi-
dence, etc.) some 40 or 50 miles of rough sea intervene.
According to Cory, 1 the Centurus of Great Bahama Island is
subspecifically distinct from that found on Abaco. In view of
what has just been said this is rather unexpected, and as the
characters claimed for the Great Bahama bird are very slight, it
is not unlikely that a large series would show the same variations
on both islands.
In the following list, a few notes are included on birds seen
during the voyage between New York and Nassau. The local
names of the birds are also appended in quotation marks.
1. Larus atricilla Linn. Laughing Gull; "Gullie."— Throughout
the smaller cays and along the shores of the larger islands these birds
were rather common in pairs, and were breeding. Most of those seen
apparently had young near by, and invariably followed us with cries of
protest whenever we were near their nesting sites. We saw a number of
young birds that were evidently but a few days old, yet able to scramble
nimbly about over the rough rocks.
2. Sterna maxima Bodd. Royal Tern; "Red Shank."— Royal
Terns were not uncommon about the islands, though we rarely saw more
than two or three at a time flying over the quieter waters or sunning on
the mud flats. We found no sign of their breeding.
3. Sterna dougalli Montag. Roseate Tern ; " Black Shank."—
Rather common among the outer cays where it was breeding in early
1 Cory : Auk, Vol. IX, 1892, p. 270.
I I 8 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. \_k^
July. The local name "Black Shank" is derived from the fact that the
bird's beak is black, whereas the Royal Tern, with a reddish bill, is the
"Red Shank."
4. Sterna antillarum (Less.)- Least Tern ; "Kill-'em-Polly."— On
several of the smaller islands this little tern was breeding, and we found
eggs during the first week of July near Elbow Cay. Although we found
no large colonies, yet the bird was constantly met with in small numbers
throughout our cruise. Several times they were seen with flocks of other
terns following schools of small fishes.
5. Sterna fuliginosa Gmel. Sooty Tern; "Egg Bird."— Abundant
among the smaller islands.
6. Sterna anaethetus Scop. Bridled Tern; "Egg Bird."— One
adult (J shot July 4, 1904, at Long Rock, off Abaco. The natives apply
the term "Egg Bird" indiscriminately to these two species. We were
not always able to distinguish between the two and did not wish to shoot
the birds unnecessarily. At several places, notably at Fish Cays, we
found immense numbers of terns breeding, most of which were seem-
ingly Sooties. Many young birds were seen still in the down during
July, while eggs were also plentiful. The crews of the sponging vessels
gather quantities of these eggs for food during their voyages among the
islands. Several of the young birds were captured and kept aboard our
vessel during the cruise. They made interesting pets as they ate eagerly,
were active and inquisitive, and wholly without fear. Their constant
peeping, however, became eventually quite distracting.
7. Anous stolidus (Linn.). Noddy.— At Fish Cays, on July 14, we
saw a number of Noddies among the hundreds of other terns of the two
preceding species. This was evidently a large breeding colony. Else-
where we saw Noddies on only a few occasions and in small numbers.
S. Pufnnus gravis (O'Reilly). Greater Shearwater.— On the after-
noon of the second day out from New York (June 25), and some 250 to
300 miles south of that port, we began to see shearwaters in small num-
bers. Most of them were apparently of this species and usually appeared
singly, flying in their characteristic manner, at some distance from the
vessel. Sometimes two or three would pass by together, and once we
saw a flock of eight. Only one was seen during the last day of the
voyage to Nassau. Very few were observed on our return trip to New
York, the first one making its appearance some 300 miles north of
Nassau, off Georgia.
9. Pufnnus lherminieri Less. Audubon's Shearwater; "Pimlico."
— Although this shearwater breeds commonly in the Bahamas earlier in
the season, we found none nesting at the time of our visit. Occasional
individuals of what appeared to be this species were seen at sea with the
preceding species. A few were also seen at nightfall as we left Nassau in
our schooner, July 3, but otherwise we saw none among the islands during
our cruise save for a single female which was captured under a rock on
Pelican Island late in the afternoon of July 14. Several times loud cries
Vol. XXII
1905
G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. 1IQ
were heard overhead at night as we lay off shore which probably came
from these birds, fhough as noted by Mr. Bonhote, the cry is very similar
to that of the Sooty Terns.
10. Oceanites oceanicus (Kuhl). Wilson's Petrel.— Petrels were
seen from the first morning out of New York until we bad crossed the
Gulf Stream off Hatteras. During this time large flocks of from 30 to
50 birds were occasionally seen, while a few were almost constantly
observed flying zig-zag back and forth over the steamer's wake some hun-
dred yards or more astern. After entering upon the Gulf Stream and
the warmer waters to the south, only one or two single birds were seen,
the last being in about lat. 28 N. Cory, while cruising among the Baha-
mas at an earlier time of the year, found petrels abundant at a short dis-
tance off the coast, which might indicate that the birds were at that time
passing through the latitude of the Bahamas and by July, when we made
our trip, the main flight had passed still farther to the northward. On
our return voyage, July 2S-31, the first petrels, three or four in number,
were observed after crossing the Gulf Stream off Hatteras Light, but they
did not become common until we were within some 300 or 400 miles of
Sandy Hook.
11. Phaethon americanus Grant. Yellow-billed Tropic Bird;
"Tropic."— But few Tropic Birds were seen among the northern Baha-
mas. At Hurricane Hole, near the northeastern end of Great Abaco, a
small colony was nesting and a few other birds were seen about some
of the rocky islets near Elbow Cay.
12. Sula sula (Linn.). Booby.— Mr. Bryant obtained a single imma-
ture specimen near Andros Island about August 1.
13. Phalacrocorax dilophus floridanus (Aud.). Florida Cormorant
;
"Cormoril."— This appears to be an uncommon and local species at the
present day among the northern Bahamas. We found but three small
rookeries. The first of these was visited by Messrs. Barbour and Bryant,
July 7, and consisted of some ten pairs of birds which were breeding on
the south side of Great Abaco. On July 16, at Great Sale Cay, we came
upon a small colony of less than half a dozen pairs. Four or five new
nests were discovered about 15 feet up, in the tops of some large man-
groves by the water's edge. Only three of these nests were in use, appar-
ently. Two held newly hatched young while the third contained one egg
and one very young bird. A small isolated clump of mangroves near the
nests may have been used as a roost by the non-incubating birds for its
thick branches were well whitewashed with excrement. A third small
colony of cormorants was found at Great Bahama, near Riding Point,
but we were told that the birds were then through breeding. Two adult
specimens which we secured are scarcely different from the true dilophus
of the north, being rather larger than typical Florida specimens. These
latter, however, vary considerably in size among themselves.
14. Pelecanus occidentalis (Linn.). Brown Pelican.— Although
Brown Pelicans are said to breed abundantly on some of the Bahama
120 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. !~Apr
Islands, we saw but few throughout our trip among the northern islands.
Two were observed on July 6, among the Marls of Great Abaco, and again,
on July ii, we sailed up very near to a single bird as it sat sedately on one
of the small rocky islets of the Pensacola Cays.
15. Fregata aquila (Linn.). Man-o'-war Bird.— These birds are
common throughout the islands but we found no nests and rarely saw
many together save at their roosts. Two large roosts were visited. One
of these, at Great Abaco, was a large isolated clump of mangroves rising
from the shallow waters of the "bight "to the south of Marsh Harbor.
Thither the birds began to repair some hours before sunset, but evi-
dently did not settle down till towards nightfall. As we passed this roost,
locally known as "Man-o'-war Bush," at about daybreak of July 6, some
fifty or more birds flew off and scattered in all directions. The other
roost mentioned was at Fish Cays, Great Abaco. Some of our crew vis-
ited this roost after dark on July 5, and captured ten birds alive among
the big mangroves. These were of both sexes, and two which we kept
alive aboard our schooner became fairly tame. Though thej' had the lib-
erty of the ship, they seemed unwilling or unable to fly away, but perched
contentedly on the anchor chains or about the capstan, and ate greedily
of the fresh fish we gave them. They were rather ill-tempered, however,
and were quick to take offence if crowded or jostled. With their sharp
beaks they would lay hold of passers-by or of one another, and could
inflict a considerable wound. One of the birds eventually perished, but
the other stayed by us throughout most of our trip. When finally we
reached Great Abaco on our return voyage, we tossed him into the air,
and he shook himself together with a curious motion and sailed away out
of sight.
16. Pcecilonetta bahamensis (Linn.). Bahama Duck.— On the south
side of Great Abaco, stretching for many miles east and west, is a tide-
water region locally known as "the Marls." Long reaches of shallow
water alternate with clayey flats a few inches above tide level. These flats
are thinly covered with a growth of small mangroves, grasses, and a few
other halophytes while here and there are little pools surrounded by taller
mangrove bushes. In this sort of country we found a good number of
these handsome ducks. Most of those seen were in pairs, but one flock of
fifteen birds was started from a small pond among the mangroves, July 6.
Cory found them breeding at Andros about the last of May.
17. Phcenicopterus ruber (Linn.). Flamingo; "Fillymingo."— Mr.
Bonhote 1 states that he was unable to ascertain certainly whether the
Flamingo still exists on Great Abaco, but we were more fortunate. So
far as we could learn from exploration and inquiry there is but a single
colony of these gorgeous birds among the northern Bahamas. This
colony inhabits the great "Marls" of Abaco, but for the past two years
1 Bonhote : Ibis, Ser. 8, Vol. Ill, 1903, p. 310.
Vol. XXII
1Q05 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. 121
none of the natives had been able to locate the nesting site. Mr. Barbour
and the writer spent July 5 and 6 with two guides sailing among the
intricate waterways of the "Marls" and were fortunate in finding one
flock of 54 birds. They were very shy, however, and would not allow us
to approach within gunshot. Most of them seemed to be old birds and
they presented a brilliant sight standing in the water against a back-
ground of green. This apparently is the most northerly breeding colony
on this coast. They are subject to constant persecution by the natives
who esteem their flesh as preferable to that of the gaunt chickens of tbe
Bahamas. The negroes believe that the birds possess a keen scent and in
hunting them, try to approach from the leeward. Others approach from
the windward as the birds must rise into the wind and hence come toward
the hunter for a distance before swinging off. We purchased a male
wing-tipped bird of some boys who had hunted this same flock on the day
before our visit. He soon became very tame and greatly amused us with
his ludicrous ways. "Filly," as he was dubbed by the crew, would stand
all day in his feed-pan that contained a thin mixture of meal and water.
We did not discover that he fed much in the daylight hours, but appar-
ently he spent a large part of the night dabbling and sputtering in his
meal. One of the crew aptly compared the continuous sound produced
to that of a little waterfall. If approached or handled he would make
feints at biting, at the same time uttering very duck-like quacks, but there
seemed to be little power in his mandibles, for his bites were quite harm-
less. When angry he had an odd way of lowering his head well below
the level of the body, at the same time bending his long neck into a
sigmoid curve. We were finally obliged to chloroform the bird, and
eventually ate the meat which was not unlike that of a fowl. The fleshy
tongue is considered a particular delicacy.
18. Ajaia ajaia (Linn.). Roseate Spoonbill.— A single Spoonbill
was seen July 6, on the Marls of Great Abaco, by Messrs. Barbour
and Bryant.
19. Dichromanassa rufescens (Gmel.). Reddish Egret; "White
Arsnicker." — Several times we saw what were undoubtedly examples
of this species, but all were in the white phase. In early July we saw a
few on the Marls of Great Abaco, and a single bird on July 19 on the
tide-water flats of Great Bahama. In all cases they were very wary and
flew off long before we could approach within gunshot.
20. Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis (Gosse). Louisiana Heron
;
"Poor Joe."— This was perhaps the commonest heron we observed.
A few were usually to be found about the mangrove swamps and one
large rookery was visited July 7, on Great Abaco, where a number of
young birds were seen about ready to leave their nests.
21. Butorides bahamensis (Brewster). Bahama Green Heron
;
"Bittern " or "Bitlin."— Single birds were seen on most of the larger
islands visited, including New Providence. On many of the cays they
were also found among the mangroves. Specimens were taken which
122 G. M. Ali.en, Summer Birds iu the Bahamas. [a"^
seemed to be young of the year, and we found no signs that any birds
were still breeding. On New Providence the expressive name "Poor
Joe " is applied to this bird though elsewhere that term was reserved for
the Louisiana Heron.
22. Nyctanassa violacea (Linn.). Yellow-crowned Night Heron;
"Gaulin."— Although of general distribution among the northern
Bahamas, we did not find this a common species. They breed early, and
apparently were done nesting at the time of our visit.
23. Rallus coryi Maynard. Cory's Rail; " Marsh Hen."— A single
specimen in very worn plumage was taken on the Marls of Great Abaco,
July 6. We came upon the bird as we were making our way through a
growth of small mangroves, where it stood tamely, watching our move-
ments.
24. Actodromas minutilla (Vieill.). Least Sandpiper. — A single
female bird, doubtless one of the advance guard of the fall migrants, was
taken at Great Bahama, on July 18.
25. Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.). Greater Yellow-legs.— On
the Great Abaco Marls we came upon one of these birds feeding about the
edge of a small pool among the mangroves. The date, July 6, seems so
early as to render it unlikely that the bird was a newly arrived migrant
from the north.
26. Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.). Willet ; "Pilly-willick." —
Among the salt water marshes grown up to small mangroves and other
bushes, and particularly among the Marls of Great Abaco, Willets were
everywhere common. More often we saw them in pairs and their actions
betokened that they were still breeding. One of our guides at Great
Abaco said he found a nest containing four eggs on the Marls, July 6.
We also obtained a fully grown bird of the year on July iS at Great
Bahama. Their habit of perching on the low bushes was frequently
noted, and at such times they often uttered a sharp and plaintive cry of a
single note. When startled, they fly about in an aimless sort of way up
and down the marshes, now approaching, now swinging away from the
observer, all the while uttering their loud " pill-will-willet." After com-
paring our series of skins with birds from the northern parts of America,
we are unable to discover any constant or tangible differences.
27. Ochthodromus wilsonius (Ord). Wilson's Plover; "Snipe."—
This was the only plover observed among the northern islands, and
almost every sandy beach or mudflat had a pair or two of them. In many
cases young birds but a few days from the egg were noticed running
about at the water's edge or seeking shelter among the rocks and grass
while the parent bird with loud cries endeavored to lead us away by feign-
ing a broken wing or a crippled leg.
28. Colinus bahamensis Maynard. New Providence Bob-white.—
A few were heard calling in the open pine barrens back of Nassau on
July 26.
29. Columba leucocephala Linn. White-crowned Pigeon ; " Pi-
Vol. XXII
1005
G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. I 23
geon."— According to Cory, these handsome pigeons are rarely seen in
the winter on account of their frequenting the thickly wooded parts of the
islands, but "as soon as the summer season sets in they become gregari-
ous, and repair in immense flocks to the outer keys to breed .... Incubation
commences about May 1." Green Cay, to the south of New Providence, is
a famous nesting place. We found one large breeding colony on Moraine
Cav, July 12-14, where hundreds of birds must have been nesting. The
nests were built in the dense growth of bushes and vines, usually at
from 4 to 6 feet from the ground. Many contained the complement of
two eggs, others held young squabs, and some had one egg and one
young bird- During much of the day many of the birds seemed to
be absent and could be observed in the early morning leaving in small
flocks for their feeding grounds on neighboring islands, but towards
evening they returned, and we obtained a number of the incoming
birds for our table. Practically all of a number thus obtained were
males, whose crops were filled with small purple berries. At Great
Abaco many birds came nightly to roost among certain large isolated
clumps of mangroves growing in the shallow waters of the "bight" on
the south side of the island. They would fly in at just about sunset, and
we were told that later in the season they resorted to these roosts in large
numbers. A great many are killed for the local markets by gunners who
conceal themselves in these clumps and shoot the incoming birds. Those
which we found during the first week of July at these mangroves must
have finished breeding.
30. Zenaida zenaida (Bonap.). Zenaida Dove; "Wood Dove.'' —
This dove was apparently uncommon among the islands visited. Two
or three individuals were seen at Stranger Cay, July 15-16, and about as
many more among the large colony of breeding White-crowned Pigeons
at Moraine Cay. All those seen were single birds and were quite tame in
contrast to the pigeons, which were very wary.
31. Columbigalhna passerina bahamensis (Maynard). Bahama
Ground Dove: "Tobacco Dove."— On all the islands that had any
considerable growth of trees and bushes this little dove was found to be
generally distributed. Of the outer cays visited, a few were found on
Elbow Cay, Great Guana Cay, Moraine Cay, Stranger Cay, and Great
Sale Cay. At Elbow Cay, July 4, 1 came upon one of these birds about
noon, sitting on her nest which contained neither eggs nor young. The
nest was a loosely made platform of twigs and grass placed in the crotch
of a small tree some ten feet from the ground. Clearings and cultivated
fields, or the edges of woods are the favorite haunts of these doves, and
much of their time is spent feeding on the ground.
32. Cathartes aura (Linn.). Turkey Vulture.— Buzzards were
seen on the larger islands only of the northern group— Great Abaco,
Little Abaco, Great Bahama, and Elbow Cay. At Little Abaco they were
seen more numerously than elsewhere as they had been attracted by the
remains of a recently slaughtered sheep. They appear to be quite absent
124 G - M - Allen > Summer Birds in the Bahamas. [^
from the smaller uninhabited islands and cays. Curiously enough, also,
they are unknown on New Providence, notwithstanding that it is more
thickly settled than the other islands. Dr. Henry Bryant, in 1859, attrib-
uted this absence from the vicinity of Nassau to an inability to procure
food, as "all the animals slaughtered there are literally devoured by the
blacks." To the present writer, however, the voracity of the blacks seems
hardly a sufficient explanation of this curious distribution. Northrop '
found them "very common on Andros," but his statement that "more
were seen on New Providence" is evidently a misprint for "none
were seen on New Providence."
33. PFalco sp.— At Great Abaco, on July 21, a small falcon, hovering
after the manner of a Sparrow Hawk was seen for several moments, but
so far away as to make identification impossible. At Nassau, we also
saw what was undoubtedly a Sparrow Hawk, on June 29. It flew past
at close range, so that its colors were fairly distinguishable.
We saw nothing of the Bahama Osprey nor of the resident Red-tailed
Hawk during our entire trip.
34. Strix pratincola Bonap. American Barn Owl.— At Hurricane
Hole, Great Abaco, a single bird was started from a large open cave by
the shore.
35. Amazona bahamensis (Bryant). Bahama Parrot.—We were
interested to learn through the captain of our schooner, that a few par-
rots still exist on Great Abaco. He told us of having seen a flock near
Marsh Harbor the year before (1903) and in previous years had some-
times observed a flock in late summer at that part of the island. We
learned that at Acklin's Island, about 140 miles south of Nassau, parrots
still nest in numbers and the young birds are regularly taken from the
nest when fledged, and brought to Nassau to be sold as pets. Mr. Robert
Johnstone, the Colonial Magistrate at Nassau, showed us a handsome
bird which he had obtained in this way. It was very tame and docile,
and frequently was allowed the liberty of the yard.
36. Crotophaga ani Linn. Ani ; "Jackdaw "; "Long-tailed Crow."
— On the larger islands Anis are not uncommon, and are usually found
in the vicinity of cultivated lands and gardens. Yet they keep well out
of sight and we saw but few at Nassau and vicinity. A small flock was
seen at Elbow Cay, July 4, near a cocoanut grove, and at Little Abaco we
were shown a nest with five eggs taken there shortly before our visit.
Of other members of the Cuculidse we saw nothing though once or
twice some cuckoo-like notes were heard but could not be identified.
37. Dryobates villosus piger,2 subsp. nov.
Type.— Male, adult, No. 40207, collection of the Museum of Compara-
1 Northrop : Auk, Vol. VIII, 1891, p. 76.
2 piger, indolent, slow.
Vol. XXII
1905
G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. I 2 C
tive Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. Collected at Great Bahama Island, July
17, 1904, by Thomas Barbour and Glover M. Allen.
Subspecific characters.— A black spot on the inner web near the tip of
each of the two outer pairs of tail feathers ; the black stripe on the breast
at each side is narrower and terminates less abruptly than in D. v. audu-
boni but is not continued as a series of streaks as it is in D. v. maynardi.
Description.— Adult male : crown, scapulars, upper tail coverts, a stripe
behind the eye, and another below it from base of beak to neck and con-
tinued along side of upper breast, black. A white stripe above and one
below the eye, united in front at base of bill, and often forming a ring
which encircles the eye ; a tuft of bristly feathers covering nostrils,
and sometimes a few small feathers at base of upper mandible, white.
Throat, breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the body feathers
with plumbeous bases; a white median stripe on the back. Wings
brownish black with numerous rounded white spots. A red transverse
occipital patch, which may show a tendency to a division into two lateral
patches as in D. v. auduboni. The first outer pair of tail feathers white
with a small amount of black at base of inner vane, and a black spot about
1 cm. from tip on margin of inner vane ; second pair of tail feathers
similar but with the black at the base extending up for § the length of
the inner vane and for a less amount on the outer vane of each, the ter-
minal black spot usually larger than on first fair ; third pair of tail
feathers black save for a small subterminal patch of white mainly on the
outer web; central pair of tail feathers entirely black.
Adult female similar but without the red occipital patch.
Size.— Smaller than D. v. auduboni of the mainland, but equalling
D. v. maynardi of the more southern Bahamas. Wing: average of
5 specimens, 102 mm., as against an average of 112 mm., for 9 specimens
of D. v. auduboni.
Specimens examined : Great Bahama, 2 (in collection of Mus. Comp.
Zool.) ; Abaco, 5 (in collection of U. S. Nat. Mus.).
Remarks.— This race is more nearly related to D. v. maynardi than to
the continental D. v. auduboni. Hairy Woodpeckers, in any considerable
series, show more or less variation in the markings. In the series of 7
skins from the northern Bahamas, however, all save one have a well
marked spot on the inner side of the first two pairs of tail feathers. The
exception, a young $, No 108615, collection U. S. National Museum,
from Abaco, shows a very small black spot on the inner web of the right
outer tail feather only and none at all on the feathers of the second pair.
In none of the 11 adult topotypes of D. v. maynardi in the Bangs collec-
tion, and that of the American Museum of Natural History, is there any
trace of these black spots on either of the outer two pairs of tail feathers.
Among the larger, continental Hairy Woodpeckers these spots rarely
occur, but in one specimen in the collection of Mr. William Brewster
they are in the nature of transverse bands such as are present normally
in the case of the Downy Woodpecker.
126 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. LApr
In the Northern Bahama and the Maynard's Hairy Woodpeckers is
seen a progressive reduction in the amount and extent of the black in the
side stripe or epaulette, so that from a large, triangular patch with
sharply defined borders in D. v. audnboni it becomes in D. v. figer a
band with a less clear-cut limit posteriorly while in D. v. maynardi the
band becomes finally reduced to a series of streaks at its posterior exten-
sion. This is due to the restriction of black in the terminal feathers of
the stripe, so that while in D. v. piger most of these feathers are entirely or
largely black, in D.v. maynardi the black is limited to a median streak.
One of the New Providence specimens of D. v. maynardi (a fine adult
female) has the breast stripe practically as in the Northern Bahama bird,
but in all the other skins examined the difference is usually apparent at
a glance.
Through the courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, I
have been able to examine four birds from Andros. These as expected,
are quite typical of D. v. maynardi, and have unspotted tips to the outer
two pairs of tail feathers, except that one specimen (an immature male)
approaches the Northern Bahama bird in having a minute black spot on
the inner web of the right outer tail feather and another on the left tail
feather of the second pair.
We did not find this bird except among the open pine woods of Abaco
and Great Bahama, where it apparently is generally distributed but not
verv common. Its movements impressed me as being slow and lethargic
as compared with the energetic jerks and resounding thwacks of our New
England Hairy Woodpecker. The notes were similar to those of our bird.
All the specimens had the breast feathers stained a dull reddish from the
pine bark.
38. Centurus blakei (Ridgw.). Blake's Woodpecker.— Near Sweet-
ing's Village, Great Abaco, we found several of these woodpeckers on
Julv 21, among the trees which here form a fairly respectable forest.
One pair was accompanied by several fully grown young, which, how-
ever, were still being fed by the old birds. Their loud, tree toad-like
rattle was very similar to that of our Red-headed Woodpecker. Accord-
ing to the natives these woodpeckers were almost always to be found in
this particular vicinity, and, indeed, we did not meet with them else-
where.
39. Chordeiles virginianus vicinus Riley. Bahama Nighthawk;
" Killy-ka-dick."—We found the newly-described Bahama Nighthawk
common on most of the islands visited. At Nassau numbers of them
were flying, towards sunset, and elsewhere we sometimes observed them
at other hours of the day hawking after insects. On many of the outer
cays they were almost always found in the strip of grass and scattered
bushes just back of the beach, and on Moraine Cay we started several
pairs from such cover in a walk of half a mile or less. When flushed
they usually alighted again a short distance away. Their color harmo-
nized well with that of their surroundings. On Moraine Cay a specimen
Vol. XXII
1905
G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas.. 127
was taken whose plumage was unusually light because of a partially
albinistic tendency. The four-syllabled note of the bird has gained for
it its local name, rendered throughout the northern islands as " Killy-ka-
dick." This note has the same penetrating quality as that of our northern
bird, and oftentimes is heard apparently close at hand while the bird
itself is a distant speck against the sky. We found them common at
Great Bahama as well as on most of the cays.
40. Riccordia aeneoviridis Palmer & Riley. Bronzy Riccordia.—
This hummingbird occurs commonly with the following species on the
" main " islands, Great Abaco, Little Abaco, and Great Bahama and also
on all the outer cays wherever there is any considerable growth of bushes.
On Great Bahama both species of hummingbirds were numerous, fre-
quenting the bushy undergrowth in the open pine woods. On the larger
cays we usually found them among the low bushes on the edges of open
spaces, and often heard their squeaking notes as they darted past in play-
ful pursuit of one another. On only one occasion did we see them off the
islands. This was on July 4, when a bird flew past our schooner close to
the water, crossing the bay at Elbow Cay off the Hopetown harbor. Its
flight over sea was hardly less than a mile but the water was perfectly
calm.
41. Doricha evelynae (Bourc). Bahama Woodstar.— On all the
islands and cays wherever there was bush or tree growth this humming-
bird occurred. Both species were especially numerous in the undergrowth
of the Great Bahama pine woods. Curiously enough, this species does
not seem to have been reported heretofore from Great Bahama though
we found it there during our visit on July 17-18, and also on Elbow Cay,
Moraine Cay, Stranger Cay, and at Nassau, New Providence.
42. Tyrannus dominicensis (Gmel.). Gray Kingbird; "Pick-
Peter."— This was one of the most conspicuous of the land birds and
nesting pairs Avere found on all the islands and larger cays wherever there
was a growth of tall bushes or trees. They prefer the vicinity of the
water and even frequent the usually barren mangrove swamps, nesting
along their edges. Nests with fresh eggs were found at Elbow Cav on
July 5 ; these were usually placed in a crotch some ten feet from the
ground or overhanging the water. The sharp notes of the birds were
not unlike the words " Pick-Peter," whence the local name.
43. Myiarchus leucaysiensis Bryant. Rufous-tailed Flycatcher.
— A pair only of these birds was seen at Cedar Harbor, Little Abaco,
July 11. They were silent and kept near together along the bushes
fringing a limestone bluff by the sea.
44. Blacicus bahamensis (Bryant). Least Bahama Flycatcher.—
Among the open pine woods to the south of the city of Nassau, New
Providence, we found two individuals of this little flycatcher, July 26.
Their habits were somewhat like those of our Wood Pewee. They
perched among the higher branches of the pines whence they occasionally
darted after passing insects, and returned again to the same or a nearby
I 28 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. fApr
1
branch. They were rather lethargic in their motions and maintained an
absolute silence. We did not meet with this bird elsewhere.
45. Agelaius phceniceus bryanti Ridgw. Bahama Redwing; "Rice-
bird." — This is a common and characteristic bird of the larger islands
wherever there are marshes and in the bushy growth along the shores of
these islands and the cays. It is one of the few birds found among the
mangrove swamps. They were very tame at all times and the males
would sing fearlessly but a few feet from the observer. The breeding
season seemed to be practically over by the first week of July, and we fre-
quently found small family flocks consisting of the pair of old birds with
their fully grown young. The song differs from -that of our northern bird
not only in its thin and scraping quality, but also in the addition of a
note at the end of the bar, thus: kon-ki-reee-ah with a slight rising
inflection.
46. Icterus northropi Allen. Northrop's Oriole; " Cocoanut
Bird."— At Andros, Mr. Bryant obtained a single immature specimen
near Mangrove Cay, in early August. We were also told by Mr. Meeres,
of the Sisal Fiber Co., that he had taken a specimen of this rare oriole on
Little Abaco early in July, 1904.
47. Pyrrhulagra violacea (Linn.). Purple Grosbeak. — We saw a
few scattered flocks of this species on New Providence and Great Abaco,
but did not meet with it elsewhere although it is known from the other
larger islands. It appears to be quite absent from the cays.
48. Tiaris bicolor (Linn.). Bahama GRAssquiT; "Parakeet." —
Everywhere among the islands this was an abundant species. Most of
the old birds taken were in very worn breeding plumage and the nesting
period seemed to be passed. Nevertheless male birds were in full song
throughout July. Many of the birds seemed to be settled in certain
localities where they were almost always to be found. They feed largely
on the ground or among the low bushes, but at intervals a male will fly up
to the top of a bush or sisal stalk and burst into song after which he pres-
ently returns to the ground again. At Nassau a male that frequented the
hotel gardens usually flew to a telegraph wire stretched across at some
twenty feet above the ground, when he wished to sing, but usually a more
humble perch is chosen. We frequently saw small family parties of adult
birds and fully grown young by the roadside, in thickets and open fields,
or even about the houses. They were common in nearly all situations on
the larger islands and were certain to be met with on all the outer cays in
the less dense bushy growth. At Little Abaco, while visiting Mr. A.
H. Nield of the Sisal Fiber Co., we were interested to observe the fear-
lessness of these little finches. They flew in at the open windows, and
regularly visited the dining room at meal times for crumbs, or perched at
arm's length from us on the piazza railing to sing.
49. Spindalis zena (Linn.). Black-backed Spindalis ; "Banana
Bird"; "Cock Robin."— At New Providence this was a common
species, frequenting the edges of woods near cleared ground. Several
Vol. XXII
1905
G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. I2Q
times we saw what seemed to be scattered flocks feeding on the ground
or among the bushes, and on Jul/ 26th we heard several of them singing
softly among the open pine woods. Mr. Bryant also secured a specimen
at Andros. It has less white in the outer tail feathers than our New
Providence specimen.
50. Spindalis zena townsendi Ridgway. Townsend's Spindalis.—
This race is characteristic of the large islands of the northern Bahamas,
and is strikingly different from the more southern zena by reason of its
olive-green back. So far as at present known, it is found only on Great
Abaco (tvpe locality), Little Abaco, and Great Bahama. The only
examples we met with were two specimens taken at Great Bahama among
the thick undergrowth of the pine woods. The cays seem not to offer
any attractions for this bird.
51. Vireo calidris barbatulus (Cab.). Black-whiskered Vireo.—
This vireo is a bird of the more open tree growth, particularly in the
neighborhood of cultivated lands. We met with it not infrequently on
New Providence and Abaco, but saw none on Great Bahama, from which
island it has not yet been reported. Its absence there is doubtless due to
a lack of suitable tree growth, at least in the portions hitherto visited.
The extensive pine forests seem to be wholly avoided by it. The song is
somewhat similar to that of the Red-eyed Vireo, but less varied, almost a
monotone, delivered in a quiet apathetic way from some hidden perch.
On Elbow Cay, July 4, we found a nest of this bird swung from the
slender fork of a small tree at some six feet from the ground. The nest
contained a single egg of the usual vireo type, and appeared to be quite
fresh. We also found this species on several of the larger cays where
there were tall bushes, as at Stranger Cay.
52. Vireo crassirostris (Bryant). Thick-billed Vireo.—This species
was the more conspicuous of the two vireos observed and was found on
all the large islands and on most of the cays of any size. Its explosive
little song was heard frequently during most of July and at times I was
able to observe the singer sitting quite motionless on some small branch
usually but a few feet from the ground. On the outer cays a few pairs
were found here and there in the dense tangled growth of vines and small
bushes which the Black-whiskered species generally avoids. We saw no
nests, but full grown young were not uncommon. This species was
noticeably tamer than the Black-whiskered, and it was a simple matter to
approach a singing bird very closely for the cracking of twigs or stirring
of branches seemed not to alarm it in the least.
53. Callichelidon cyaneoviridis (Bryant). Bahama Swallow.— At
Nassau there was a small colony of these swallows about the Colonial
Hotel. A few were to be seen at almost all hours of the day flying about
the eaves or resting on the shelf-like cornice. We were unable to dis-
cover if the birds were breeding, but they seemed to use the hotel as a
rendezvous. At Hurricane Hole, Great Abaco, on July 22, a flock of a
dozen or more was watched for a while, flying back and forth about the
1 30 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. \a^
mouth of a large open cavern among whose upper ledges there may have
been nests though no birds were seen £0 alight. A single swallow was
also observed flying about on the edge of the pine woods at Great
Bahama.
54. Ccereba bahamensis (Reich.). Bahama Honey Creeper; "Yel-
lowbreast."— This is one of the commonest and most characteristic of
the Bahaman land birds, and was found on every island and cay where
there was tree or bush growth. Few or none occur in the mangroves,
however. At New Providence in early July, we occasionally heard the
peculiar wirey song of the Honey Creeper which has somewhat the
quality of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet's intricate melody with a peculiar
far-away and ethereal softness. Most of the birds were through nesting
at the time of our visit and we found numbers of abandoned nests.
These were usually from four to six feet from the ground, in the fork of
a small bush, globular, with the entrance near the top at one side. A
nest containing four partly incubated eggs was found July 4, at Elbow
Cay. Everywhere on the islands, among the bushes and thickets were
little groups of these birds, old and young. They were exceedingly tame
and eyed us curiously, often but arm's length away. At Great Bahama
we found them as abundant as elsewhere yet the species is almost
unknown on the Florida coast only 60 miles distant. A partial albino
was taken at Elbow Cay, July 5. The yellow patches were present as in
normal specimens but the rest of the plumage was whitish.
55. Dendroica petechia flaviceps Chapman. Bahama Yellow
Warbler.— This was nowhere a common bird though we found it
among the large mangrove swamps in several localities as at Great
Abaco, Moraine Cay, and Great Sale Cay. On July 4, at Elbow Cay, an
adult male accompanied by two full grown young in immature plumage,
was observed among some bushes not far from a small swamp. The
bright song of the old bird somewhat resembled that of our Dendroica
(estiva. On a few other occasions we observed singing birds; and while
among the Great Abaco Marls we found several young birds of the vear
and one or two singing adults in a large mangrove "bush" or island,
July 6.
56. Dendroica dominica (Linn.). Yellow-throated Warbler.— A
single specimen was obtained at Mangrove Cay, Andros, by Mr. Owen
Bryant on August 2. Another was also seen at Nassau by Mr. Bryant on
August 7. Doubtless these were early migrants.
57. Dendroica pityophila bahamensis Cory. Bahama Warbler.— So
far as known this species is confined to the large islands of the northern
Bahamas where it lives among the pines. We found a few at Great
Bahama, and one immature bird taken there July 17, was just beginning
to acquire the yellow breast and crown feathers. These are active, rest-
less little birds and live well up among the branches of the slender pine
trees. Several times we heard the short rich song during the afternoon
of July 17.
Vol. XXII
1905 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. I 7 I
58. Dendroica vigorsii achrustera (Bangs). New Providence Pine
Warbler. — This very distinct race is common on New Providence
Island among the open pine woods, and we found birds in song during
our stay there in early and late July. On July 26 an adult female was
watched for some time as she waited upon one of her fully grown young.
The latter was restless and during the intervals when its parent was
absent in search of food, would fly here and there among the trees keep-
ing up a constant chipping characteristic of many young warblers, in
order that its parent might find it when she arrived with food.
59. Dendroica vigorsii abacoensis Ridgway. Abaco Pine Warbler.—
Several specimens were obtained at Great Bahama, July 17 and 18, 1904,
and these agree precisely with Ridgway's description of the Abaco bird.
There can be no doubt that this is the form characteristic of the large
islands of the northern group of the Bahamas. Since it frequents the
open pine woods only, its range is restricted to the islands of Great
Abaco, Little Abaco, and Great Bahama, where these trees grow. The
habits and song of both these subspecies seemed indistinguishable from
those of our Pine Warbler of the northern United States.
60. Geothlypis tanneri Ridgway. Tanner's Yellowthroat.— Unfor-
tunately our collections do not throw very much light on the somewhat
complicated problem of the geographical relationships of the various
Bahama Yellowthroats. We were unsuccessful in finding the genus at
all on New Providence, and after careful search among the islands of the
northern group found only the species tanneri. This is common in
bushy growths both on the "main " islands and on several of the larger
cays. At Great Bahama a number of individuals were found both in the
swamps along shore and among the bushes in the dry pine woods. All
the specimens obtained are typical tanneri. The adult males still retained
(July 18) their black cheek-patches, though the breeding season was about
over. Specimens were taken on Great Bahama and Moraine Cay, and
birds were also observed in full song on Abaco and Elbow Cay. At
Moraine Cay, July 14, an adult male was seen feeding a full grown young
bird which followed its parent closely, begging for food. The species
incompta described by Ridgway from two Abaco specimens taken early in
April, 1886, seems to represent the group of Yellowthroats with light
abdomens. If it is actually resident among the northern Bahamas it is
odd that we did not find it.
61. Mimus gundlachi (Cab.). Bahama Mockingbird.— On the outer
cays where there is an abundance of thick bushes and tangled creepers
this Mockingbird is not uncommon, although we found it rather shy and
retiring. None were seen on any of the large islands, although Mr.
Bonhote has found them in winter on New Providence and Little Abaco.
At the time of our visit they seemed to be about through breeding,
though some were seen tending fully grown young. Thus on Moraine
Cay, July 13, an adult male was seen hopping quickly about on the ground
among the undergrowth closely followed by two young birds whom he
fed from time to time. The latter kept up all the while a fine sibilant
1^2 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. [a"t
note which I at first mistook for the chirp of a grasshopper. On one or
two occasions we heard the song of this Mockingbird, but most of them
seemed to have stopped singing. We saw birds on Stranger Cay, Mo-
raine Cay, and Great Sale Cay.
62. Mimus polyglottos (Linn.). Mockingbird.— As noted by Bon-
hote, 1 the White-winged Mockingbird of the northern Bahamas appears
to be the same as the bird of the neighboring mainland. It seems to
have come in within a recent period and keeps close to the villages and
settlements. We found it commonly about the edges of clearings and
cultivated ground at Elbow Cay, and discovered nests with fresh eggs at
that place on July 4 and 5. Bonhote records the bird also from Great
Abaco, as well as nests and eggs in March from Little Abaco. At the
extensive sisal plantations on the latter island we saw numbers of the
birds, particularly near the houses, and were told by Mr. Meeres, of the
Sisal Fiber Company, that they had noticeably increased during the past
few years. Many of the Mockingbirds were still in song, and I several
times heard them at various hours of the night during the full moon of
early July.
63. Polioptila caerulea caesiogaster Ridgway. Bahama Gnatcatcher;
"Catbird."— We met with this bird only twice among the northern
islands, once on Elbow Cay, July 4, and again, July 17, a few were found
at Great Bahama among the bushy growth of the pine woods.
64. Mimocichla plumbea (Linn.). Plumbeous Mockingbird ; "Blue
Thrasher."— Only two specimens of this bird were seen throughout
our trip, one at Cedar Harbor, Little Abaco, on July 11, and a second
near Sweeting's Village, Great Abaco, July 22. They were not shy but
their manner of life among the thickets and their silence at this season
of the year rendered them difficult to observe.
By way of summary it is interesting to group together the
species of birds that inhabit the different sorts of country. Thus
the following 20 species and subspecies occur chiefly if not exclu-
sively on the larger " main " islands, as New Providence, the
Abacos, and Great Bahama :
Pcecilonetta bahamensis.
Pluvnicopterus ruber.
Coliitus bahamensis (New Providence).
Cathartes aura (except New Providence).
Amazona bahamensis (Great Abaco).
Crotophaga atii.
Dryobates villosus maynardi and D. v. piger.
Centurus blakei.
Myin rchus leucaysiensis.
1 Bonhote: Ibis, Ser. 8, Vol. HI, 190J, p. 276.
Vol. XXII
igos G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. I ? 2
Blacicus bahamensis.
Icterus northropi.
Pyrrhulagra violacea.
Spinda lis zena zena and 6". z. toivnsendi.
Dendroica pityopkila bahamensis.
Dendroica vigorsii achrustera and D. v. abacoensis.
Minius polyglottos.
Mimocichla plumbea.
Of these, the Hairy Woodpeckers, Least Bahama F ycatcher,
Bahama Warbler, and Pine Warblers we found in the pine growth
only.
A few species, some 15 land birds, we found not only on the
larger islands with their more varied growth, but also on the
smaller and rather barren outer cays. These are mainly such
birds as frequent thick bushes or the mangrove swamps. Those
that we noted are the following : —
Columba leitcocepkala. Tiaris bicolor.
Zenaida zenaida. Vireo calidris barbatulus (rarely).
Columbigallina passerina bahamensis. Vireo crassirostris.
Chordeiles virginianus vicinus. Ccereba bahamensis.
Riccordia tzneoviridis. Dendroica petechia Jiaviceps.
Doricha evelyinr. Geothlypis tanner.
Tyrannies dominicensis. Minius gundlachi.
Agelaius phecuiceus bryanti.
These small cays apparently have no land birds peculiar to
themselves.
The birds of the mangrove swamps are few. Cormorants and
several of the Herons nest among their branches, and the Man-
grove Warbler {Dendroica petechia Jiaviceps) is practically confined
to them as far as we could observe. But otherwise they offer little
attraction from an ornithological standpoint, and are quite barren
and deserted save for a few Gray Kingbirds and Bahama Red-
wings that nest on their borders.
In conclusion I wish to express my thanks to Mr. Outram Bangs
for his aid in identifying many of the specimens, and to the
authorities of the American Museum of Natural History and of
the United States National Museum for the loan of specimens for
comparison. The greater part of the birds that we collected have
been presented to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Cam-
bridge, and the remainder have been added to Mr. Outram Bangs's
collection of West Indian birds.