io FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ORNITHOLOGY, VOL. i. 



I have heard the song at early morning, at midday and in the 

 evening. At Aguacate where I secured seven of the ten specimens 

 collected, the mating season was evidently just beginning. On two 

 occasions I had opportunity of watching the birds while busy with 

 their love affairs. In every movement and action they brought to 

 mind our Bluebird, when in the same happy mood. There was a 

 like peculiar raising and flitting of the wings, evidently a joyousness 

 of spirit that would not be controlled. 



In a freshly killed bird the eye is dark brown, legs and feet yel- 

 lowish, claws dusky, bill black. I found this species only in the 

 deep dark forest, never in the open. The food consists of both fruit 

 and insects. The latter are often taken on the wing. 



Ten specimens were secured by me, three from Catare and seven 

 from Aguacate. In the series there is slight yet quite noticeable 

 individual variation in the shade of tawny chestnut on the under tail 

 coverts and crissum; and also in the extent of this color over the 

 lower parts. In one of the specimens from Catare the color is con- 

 fined almost entirely to the under tail coverts, while in another from 

 Aguacate the entire crissum is tawny with bits of color extending 

 over the breast almost to the chestnut of the throat. In all of the 

 speciments there is a faint olive shading in the back in some a few 

 olive-tipped feathers. These olive-tipped feathers I am much inclined 

 to think are remnants of the first plumage. 



All of my San Domingo specimens differ considerably from the 

 type of M. montanus from Hayti, more in fact than they do from the 

 Lesser Antillian form M. sanctce-lucia. However the type and only 

 example of M. montanus is so badly mutilated that satisfactory com- 

 parison with other specimens is impossible, and while the differences 

 are apparently of such character as to warrant a separation, making an 

 eastern and a western form for the island, the absence of material for 

 adequate comparison from Hayti compels me to merely call attention 

 to the apparent and most obvious differences. 



M. montanus has no white spot on the chin, and the rictal streak 

 is pale reddish-brown. In my specimens from San Domingo the chin 

 and the rictal streak are berth white. 



4. Minus dominicus (Lmn.). RUISENOR One hundred and 

 five specimens of this mocking bird were collected. It was found at 

 almost all points visited, but was most abundant near the coast, and 

 apparently has a preference for inhabited neighborhoods. 



Several broods are reared each season, as a"bout San Domingo 

 City I secured young birds just from the nest as early as March 18 

 and as late as May 2, while on the latter date a female was collected 



