MAR. 1896. ORNITHOLOGY OF SAN DOMINGO CHERRIE. 21 



Domingo City, Catare and Aguacate. While not particularly watch- 

 ful and shy the inconspicuous colors and somewhat modest and retir- 

 ing habits and notes rarely heard render this one of the least noticeable 

 of San Domingo's woodland birds. In actions this species is often 

 very like some of the warblers, being also of about the same size. It 

 hops along the limbs and explores nooks and crevices between the 

 branches seemingly to prefer being right side up, yet when occasion 

 requires it will be seen diligently working away on the underside of 

 some limb. Sometimes this little "carpenter" would be seen at the 

 very tops of the forest trees, where I could only identify my bird by 

 the use of my field glasses, and again I would find him hopping about 

 in the brushwood a few inches from the ground. 



In freshly killed specimens the eye is sometimes carmine, some- 

 times reddish brown; the feet and legs are olive plumbeous; bill dusky 

 with the lower mandible plumbeous at the base. 



54. Chloronerpes striatus (Mull.]. CARPINTERO One of the 

 most abundant birds in San Domingo, equally distributed both in 

 the mountainous and coast districts. This species was the subject of 

 many complaints from the natives, from the country people, all de- 

 claring that it was impossible to have oranges and " carpinteros " at 

 the same time. As soon as the oranges show the least sign of ripen- 

 ing they are immediately attacked by the woodpeckers, and in a very 

 short time there is nothing remains but a shrivelling, "bloodless" 

 orange peel. This woodpecker is also very destructive to the Royal 

 Palm a fact adding greatly to his already bad name filling the 

 green growing trunk so full of holes as finally to cause its death. 

 This bird seems to make its nest by preference in the stems of the 

 Royal Palm, and, in fact, I do not now remember having seen a wood- 

 pecker hole in any other species of tree while in San Domingo. But 

 in addition to nesting in the Royal Palm, a great many holes are 

 drilled apparently without any view toward housekeeping, or cer- 

 tainly with no other object than filling the pantry. C. striatus is a 

 sap sucker and taps the Royal Palm for his beverage. 



The eye in life is orange yellow. 



55. Conurus chloropterus (Souance}. PERIQUITO While 

 from the accounts of the natives the San Domingo Paroquet must at 

 some seasons be very abundant, yet I saw very few, and only four 

 specimens were taken. It is gregarious and its presence or absence 

 at any particular time or place depends probably on the food sup- 

 ply, which is again controlled by the seasons which vary much in dif- 

 ferent parts of the island. 



