352 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [June, 



NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF SAN DOMINGO, WITH A LIST OF THE SPECIES, 



INCLUDING A NEW HAWK. 



BY A. E. VERRILL AND A. HYATT VERRILL. 



During the winter and spring of 1906 and 1907, the junior author 

 visited San Domingo on a collecting trip, mainly for the mammals, 

 birds and reptiles, and especially for specimens of Solenodon parodoxus, 

 of which an account by him has been published in the Annals mid 

 Magazine of Natural History and elsewhere. 1 He had already ob- 

 tained a large and interesting collection when an attack of typhoid 

 fever unfortunately put an end to his work. 



The avifauna of San Domingo is remarkable for the number of species 

 peculiar to the island, many of which are confined to special, isolated 

 localities. Many species are met with only at certain seasons, while 

 others, usually very rare, are abundant in places where their food 

 plants occur, during the season when these plants are in fruit. 



The birds comprised in the accompanying list were obtained by the 

 junior author 2 in the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo), between 

 December 21, 1906, and April 13, 1907. 



The list includes numerous species not hitherto recorded as taken 

 in San Domingo, two of which were undescribed forms. Many species 

 of migratory North American birds were obtained there for the first 

 time, so that the list gives valuable data as to the winter habitat of 

 many northern birds. A few species previously recorded from the 

 island were not observed, while several, such as the flamingo, spoonbill 

 and certain herons, were seen, but were not secured on account of their 

 shyness and the nearly inaccessible places which they frequent. 



The difficulties to be overcome in collecting in San Domingo are very 

 great; birds are comparatively scarce and many species are exceedingly 

 shy from constant hunting by the natives. It is quite probable, 

 therefore, that a number of species yet remain to be discovered in the 

 more remote and inaccessible swamps and mountains. 



Although practically the entire republic was covered by this trip, 



1 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. XX, p. 68, pi. IV; Amer. Journ. Science, 

 vol. XXIV, pp. 55-57 (cut), 1907; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. New York (J. A. 

 Men), vol. XXIV, art. XXIII, pp. 505-517, figs, plates XXVIII to XXXIII, 

 1908. 



2 The notes on habits, etc., are taken from his field notes, made at the time. 



