132 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XX.2.3&4. 



Family FRINGILLIDAE. Finches. 



The Finches are locally known as "grass-birds" or, in patois 

 cici-zebe ." Leotaud considers this latter word as a corruption 

 t3i cici-des-herbes." Some of them are apparently migrants and are 

 much commoner at certain times of the year. 



20. Volatinia jacarini Bon. The small Black Finch. 

 Tiaris jacarini. Leotaud No. 170. 



This active little blue-black bird is one of the commonest in 

 the sugar cane fields. It is a ground feeder and a ground nester and 

 its abundance, in spite of the presence of the mongoose, makes one 

 doubt the effect that th.is animal is supposed to have had on the 

 bird fauna. 



The male has a remarkable and characteristic habit of perching 

 on a small projecting stalk or twig and taking a sudden tumbling 

 dancing flight upwards for a few feet only to return almost immediately 

 to his perch. 



The nest is a deep cup, neatly and openly made of grass woven 

 •circularly. They have been found on the following occasions. 



(1) On November 28, 1918 at La Fortunee Sugar Estate, about 

 one foot from the ground in a low plant growing among the canes. 

 It contained two eggs. 



(2) On August 12, 1919 at the Usine Ste. Madeleine, on the 

 ground at the base of a small solanaceous bush in a pasture. It 

 contained two eggs. 



(3) On July 17, 1920 G. Thompson informed me that he saw 

 one of this species carrying nesting material at Carom. 



(4) On August 1 2, 1 920 in grass on the edge of a trace at Harmony 

 Hall. The nest was new and contained no eggs. On August 16 

 there were two eggs in it. 



The eggs are ovate, greenish white, spotted and blotched sepia 

 there are more markings on the broad end. 



The food consists of both seeds and insects as the following 

 ^IJssections will show. 



(1) Shot among sugar cane at Caroni on September 28, 1917; 

 many seeds and wings of a beetle. 



(2) Shot among sugar cane at Harmony Hall on October 27, 1917 

 seeds and one froghopper {Tomaspis saccharina). 



(3) Shot among sugar cane at Willian'sville on June 11, 1918; 

 seeds, remains of beetle and several froghcppers. 



(4) Shot at same time as 3 ; seeds, remains of beetle and several 

 froghopperj^i 



