152 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



unity of the town have been allowed to grow up into bush and brush, he is 

 seldom seen or heard near the Town. He now resorts to those places where 

 the grounds and commons are more open and unencumbered by low or tan- 

 gled growth of underwood. The Chicken Hawks do not confine themselves 

 to any particular mode or place of breeding ; comparative height appearing 

 to be the chief object. They generally select the loftiest tree in the locality, 

 without reference to its being inaccessible or otherwise, where they construct 

 their nest at the highest available point. In the lowlands, the silk cotton 

 tree is generally selected for the purpose, but the Cashaw or Hogg Plum is as 

 often used. I have sometimes met with a nest in a Cashaw tree, not more 

 than 20 feet from the ground, quite accessible, and near a frequent path. 

 Several pairs of young birds have been at different times taken from the roof 

 of the turret of the belfry of the Spanish Town Cathedral Church. The last 

 pair I saw was taken in 1852. The nest is a platform of dry sticks more than 

 a foot across, and two or three inches thick ; the bed of the nest is about six 

 inches across and two inches deep, of grass, inner bark and leaves ; it usually 

 contains 4 or 5 eggs, nearly spherical, 2| by If inches, of a dirty or clayish 

 white, dashed with blotches and spots of vandyke, and umber brown, often 

 running with a lighter shade into the ground color. 



3. Falco anatum. The great-footed, or Duck Hawk, is an annual visitor, 

 following the flocks of migratory ducks, which resort here in the autumn and 

 early winter months, and sometimes on their return, passing over in the spring . 

 I have obtained specimens in October and the intervening months until Jan- 

 uary, and again in April. It is of larger dimensions than the Peregrine 

 Falcon, and I have not seen it here ia the light plumage of the lattter. 



I obtaiued a specimen of the true Peregrine Falcon at the same time with 

 the black and white Vulture. It wa3 evidently a trained bird, as it was very 

 docile, and had the leathern collar, or gorget, on its neck. It was shot at 

 Great Salt Pond, following a flock of Teal. The wing was broken near the 

 shoulder joint ; it lived for a fortnight, when it died from mortification of the 

 wound. This specimen I also sent to Dublin. 



188. Tinnu.vculus ? A small brown Hawk,* known as the Sparrow 



Hawk, and which I take to be of this genus, is often met with in the moun- 

 tains. I have several times seen it sweeping past in rapid flight, but have 

 not yet obtained a specimen, or gleaned any information of its habits. 



4. Hypotriorchis columbarius. The Pigeon Hawk is a permanent resident 

 more frequently found in the hills than the plains. Sometimes he is seen 

 perched on a lofty tree, but seems to prefer lurking in low bushes or trees, 

 from whence he swoops suddenly and directly on his prey. The nest is gen- 

 erally constructed on some lofty tree, often screened by thick foliage, and is a 

 slight platform of sticks and grass, matted with some softer material, as grass, 

 inner bark or leaves ; the only one I have ever collected contained four round oval 

 or spherical eggs, measuring If by 1^ inches, of a dull or clayish white, marked 

 with sepia and burnt umber, confluent dashes and splashes irregularly dis- 

 tributed, principally about the middle and larger end. Some few years ago, 

 [ saw four eggs taken from a nest, described as above, in the lower St. John's 

 Mountain ; the eggs were oblong oval, about the same size as the last, and 

 nearly covered with chocolate and umber blotches ; probably they belonged 

 to two distinct species. 



6. Pandion Carolinensis. The Fish Hawk is regular in his autumnal visits, 

 confined, however, to the coast. An intelligent and observant sportsman, 

 then residing at Port Henderson, told Mr. Hill arid myself, many years ago, 



* This may be a Tiniimculus, or a snnll Accipiter ; perhaps frinyilloi des : or, more unlikely 

 fuscus. (B.) 



[May, 



