284 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



dious ; tliey sometimes make their nests in those tangled masses of trailing 

 plants found enveloping the lofty trees in the dense highland forests. I, once 

 in the parish of St. John, saw a nest of the black bill taken from such a mass 

 of Bignonia echinata, which had formed a natural bridge over a chasm between 

 two precipitous rocks. The perroquets sometimes select the abandoned nests 

 of the Duck and Termites. This appears, however, to be an exception to the 

 general habit, and only when the nest embraces the trunk or a large branch 

 of the tree. I have unfortunately mislaid my notes of the eggs of the Parrots 

 and Woodpeckers, and have had no opportunity of procuring any for 

 several years. During the breeding season, from March until August, the 

 Parrots mostly retire to the deep woods on the highest mountain ridges, occa- 

 sionally, however, returning to the lower ranges of hills and valleys, when, 

 tempted by the berries or fruit of some forest tree, then in bearing, or by 

 young maize or ripe bananas on the grounds, or corn fields of the mountain 

 settler ; but in these raids they never remain very long at one time, some- 

 times descending in the morning and returning to the higher hills in the even- 

 ing, at other times remaining for a few days only. 

 The small species are 



82. Chrysotis collaria, L. (Psittacus leucocephalus, Gosse.) The yellow- 

 billed parrot is more generally distributed in lower ranges than the others ; 

 the iris is usually hazel, but in some is greyish yellow. I have often met 

 with mature individuals of this species in summer livery, spotted all over, the 

 upper plumage with blue and yellow spangles. We have a caged bird which 

 puts on this change every summer. 



81. Chrysotis agilis. (Psittacus agilis, Gosse.) I have never seen more than 

 a few stragglers of this species in the lower hills. It appears to be almost re- 

 stricted to the 'higher ranges. 



197. Conurus nanus. ( C.Jlaviv enter, Gosse.) From specimens I have at dif- 

 ferent times collected, these appear to be distinct species. 



PICIDJE. 



83. Picus VARUTS. I have never met this species of Woodpecker, unless 

 one I saw in possession of Mr. Hill, a few years back, belonged to it. Mr. Hill 

 obtained in from Manchester. It was grayish white marked with reddish 

 brown spots. 



82. Centdrus radiolatus, Wagler. This is a very common species, found 

 at all times in every part of the Island, from the sea coast to the highest moun- 

 tain ridges. 



TROCHlLIDsE. 



23. Lampornis mango, L. The " Doctor bird" is very common in the low- 

 lands, as well as in the mountains. Their breeding season seems to extend 

 from February to July ; the nest is a neat cup, generally with a flat bottom 

 worked on the branch, but it is sometimes in a fork with a conical bottom, 

 varying in size, the largest about 2 inches across, and a little more than 1 

 inch in depth on the outside, and f of an inch within. In the lowlands it is 

 constructed of down of Eriodendron and some species of Asclepiasj in the 

 mountains, of these and of Ochroma lagopus and Tillandsia. It is always 

 stuccoed on the outside with a whitish lichen. The eggs are oblong, rounded 

 at both ends, pure white, and measure 11-1 6ths by 7-16ths. The nest is easily 

 detected, as the bird always hovers round the intruder on his approaching it, 

 as if inclined to attack him. 



24. Aithurds polytmus. {Trochilus polytmus, Gosse.) This species is not 

 uncommon in the lowlands from April till September, but is met with on 

 the hills at all times. It is found abundant in the vicinity of the groves of 



[Nov. 



