300 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



54. Corvus jamaicensis. Mr. Gosse has given a very full and graphic his- 

 tory of this bird. They build in company like rooks, on the loftiest forest 

 trees, and are then very fierce. I have for several years endeavored to induce 

 the settlers in the vicinity of their breeding trees to procure me eggs of this 

 species, but they have always declined, fearing an encounter with the parent 

 birds. 



COLUMBIDjE. 



98. Geotrygon Montana. The Mountain Partridge is one of our ground 

 pigeons, breeding and roosting, however, on trees. Its food is the same as 

 that of the White Belly, and like that bird always feeds on the ground. In 

 the autumn and winter months it feeds in company, and is then met with in 

 the plains near the foot of the lower ranges of hills. It generally builds on low 

 trees or bushes, but the nest is occasionally found near the summit of tall 

 trees. I have never heard of its nest being found on the ground. The eggs 

 are two, oval or round oval, rarely pointed at one end, measuring 13 16thsto 

 1^ by of an inch, and vary from reddish drab to cream color. The dark 

 colored bird is the female, the rufous the male. 



97. Geotrygon cristata. ( G. sylvatica, Gosse.) The Mountain Witch is often 

 found abundant in the St John's and St. Catharine's Hills. I have not been able 

 to discover the great affinity to the true Gallinse, said to exist in the Mountain 

 Witch, except in the formation of its legs, which are adapted to rapid motion 

 on the ground ; the wings are not proportionately shorter than those of the other 

 ground pigeons ; the thigh is clothed to the knee. It is not gregarious, 

 though, like many others of the tribe, several are usually found feeding in 

 the same locality. It lives principally and feeds on the ground, running with 

 great quickness when disturbed. It roosts in low trees and shrubs, and breeds 

 on the ground or in low bushes four or five feet high. I have never found 

 more than two eggs or young in any nest ; the eggs are roundish oval, stone 

 color, measuring If by a little more than an inch. The squabs are like the 

 rest of ColumbidcB, at first very helpless and sparely covered with soft downy 

 hair, and are fed in the nest by the old birds until they are able to follow 

 them. The Mountain Witch never takes to a tree unless suddenly alarmed. 

 The female takes the largest share of incubation, the male usually perching 

 on some low bush near the nestling place, until required to take his turn ; 

 he remains until the return of the female from feeding. Its food is the 

 same as that of the White Belly. It is very tame and docile in confinement, 

 but is never sufficiently domesticated to be left at liberty. It is said to feed 

 on the white or duck ant. I do not know this as a fact, nor have I met with 

 any one who does ; it is, however, possible, as the egg of the Termiles is firm 

 and resembles a semi-transparent berry. 



Mr. Gosse mentions the finding of small snails in the gizzard of the Geotry- 

 gon ; this may be accounted for by the fact that, in the early morning, at certain 

 seasons, myriads of small-shelled snails are found crawling among the de- 

 caying leaves and vegetable debris, in all the damp mountain glades and hill- 

 sides. Many of these may be thus picked up with the seeds on which these 

 doves feed. 



77. . The Blue Dove is another ground pigeon, with the form of the 



Pea Dove, and the habits of the White Belly. The body is blue, the neck and 

 head grey. It builds in low shrubs, generally in clumps of Tillandsia, or on the 

 ground ; the egg is the form and size of that of the White Belly, and is a light 

 brownish drab. 



There is a bar-tailed pigeon found sometimes in the highlands, on the line 

 of St. Ann's and Trelawny, the size of the Bald Pate, but without the white 

 poll. It is ashy blue above, the tail has a broad discolored white band ; it is 



[Nov- 



