noble: the resident birds of Guadeloupe. 375 



16. Chaemepelia passerina trochila (Bonaparte). 



Ortolan. 



Twelve adult and half-grown specimens from Goyave, August 25th 

 to September 1st. 



On the east coast of Guadeloupe, in the lowlands of the north coast, 

 and all over Grande Terre, the little Ground Dove is abundant. It 

 is the commonest bird in the cane-fields, and in spite of its small size 

 the natives snare great numbers for food. 



Long after the young have been fully fledged, the parent birds stay 

 with them. These family groups feed together about the edges of 

 the cane-fields. While on the island I never saw an Ortolan, that was 

 not associated with its family flock. 



17. Geotrygon martinica (Linne). 

 Perdrix Rouge. Perdrix Gris. 



One adult female from Goyave, August 20th. 



Few of the chasseurs of Guadeloupe know that the Perdrix Rouge 

 is the male and the Perdrix Gris the female of one and the same species, 

 but all agree that both are nearly extirpated from the island. The 

 habits of this species are similar to those of Gcoirygon mystacea but 

 unlike that species it seems to have been unable to adapt its habits to 

 the introduced Mongoose. Today it is probably the rarest bird on 

 Guadeloupe but fifteen or twenty years ago it was abundant and 

 was considered excellent game. 



18. Geotrygon mystacea (Linne). 



Perdrix Croissant. 



Fifteen adults from Nez Casse, Ste. Rose, and Goyave, taken late 

 in June, in July, and August. 



Since the introduction of the Mongoose all of the species of Per- 

 drix have suffered because they build their nests near the ground and 



