NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 151 



heard of their associating during the season of incubation. In the hills they 

 select a spot sheltered by overhanging rocks, or trees, for their breeding place. 

 At Walton, in the Moneague district of Saint Ann, a pair breeds annually on 

 a rock known as the John Crow Rock, the young birds never remaining ; 

 one pair alone retaining possession of the homestead. In the plains or val- 

 leys, they generally take the base of some large tree for their resting-place. 

 I have often seen eggs and young birds found on the limestone hills, in the 

 neighborhood of Spanish town, as well as from the Port Hudson, and Health- 

 shire ranges and the adjoining woodlands. In 1834, I found a pair of young 

 John Crows, under a Fustic tree, in a wide belt of Pingnins, not 500 yards 

 from the residence of Heartsease Penn, three miles from Spanish Town. In 

 1842, I found two eggs in a thick bush, under the shade of an Inga Saman, 

 on the river bank at Rodons Penn, a mile and a half from town ; and in 1861. 

 a. pair of young birds were found under a large spreading Cash aw tree, a few 

 feet from a path leading to a cottage on a Penn, near the race-course. On 

 every occasion of the finding of eggs, or young birds, there have been only 

 two, and these have always been discovered on the bare ground, without the 

 slightest apology for a nest, save any decaying leaves or other vegetable sub- 

 stance fortuitously on the spot. The eggs are oval, and measure 2| by 2 

 inches, or nearly so ; the ground color is cream, or creamy, or clayish white, 

 with dashes and spots, and some irregularly formed blotches of umber brown, 

 intermixed with grey slaty cloudings beneath ; the ground coloring and 

 markings of some are dark, whilst in others they are much lighter. 



186. Cathartes atratus.* The black, or Carrion Crow Vulture, if we are 

 correct in the identity, is a recent settler in Jamaica. The first pair observed 

 were captured at Port Henderson, I think, in 1S47, for Mr. Justice Macdougal. 

 who sent them to the late Earl of Derby. Individuals of the species are still ob- 

 served about Port Henderson and the Healthshire Hills, and occasionally over 

 Spanish Town. In 1861, a specimen, apparently a male, was caught in my 

 garden in the Town, but from the carelessness of a lad it escaped before it 

 was examined, previous to its being prepared. On two occasions, whilst trav- 

 elling to Saint Anns, I have observed them ; the first time there were two 

 the second, three passing rapidly up the mountain gorge, near Miss King- 

 ston's tavern, on the Walks Road, through which the Rio Cobre flows, from 

 St. Thomas, in the vale, to the lowlands, on its onward course to the sea : 

 and Mr. Hill informs me that he has, on several occasions this year, seen 

 them about the same place. The species is yet too rare to justify any spe- 

 culation as to their becoming domiciled in any number, or what' their o- e n- 

 eral habits may be when they become permanent settlers. Their flight is in 

 angles or straight lines, rarely in circles, like that of the Aura, and then the 

 circles are more circumscribed. 



187. Cathartes ? In the autumn of 1828, I obtained from Great Salt 



Pond a specimen of a black Vulture, mottled with white spots, about the size of 

 Pandion carolinensis. It was so obese, with deep fulvous fat. that I had much 

 difficulty in preserving it in part. I sent the specimen to the Royal Dublin 

 Society, but have received no information of its having been identified with 

 any described species. I did not take the dimensions. 



FALCONIDJE. 

 2. Buteo borealis. The Chicken Hawk is distributed generally throughout 

 the island, but is not more common than tne Pigeon Hawk ; though from his 

 habits he is more frequently observed. He prefers an open country, with 

 some lofty trees about. He was formerly often seen, and heard by himself, 

 or with his mate, soaring in circles, and his peculiar cry, ping-ye-e, heard 

 overhead in Spanish Town ; but of late years, since the pastures in the vi- 



1863.] 



* Not mentioned by Qosse. 



