178 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XX.2,3&4^ 



84. Cathartes aura. Linn. Red Headed Vulture or Red 



Headed Corbeau. 

 Leotaud No. 2. 



This bird is often erroneously called the King Corbeau, a name- 

 which should strictly be applied to Sarcoramphus papa which is much 

 rarer and has never come under my observation. 



The Red Headed Vulture, although not so common as the Black 

 Vulture, is quite frequently seen, usually solitary or one or two in 

 company with numbers of the black headed species. 



One or two were present in the field recorded above as manured 

 with blood manure. 



A specimen was seen on the Island of Patos on May 22, 1918. 



I have no record of nesting. 



Family FALCONIDAE Hawks. 



85. Elanoides forficatus. Linn. Scissors-tailed Kite or 



Swallow-tailed Kite. 

 Mauclerus furcatus. Leotaud No. 16. 



I have only seen this species on one occasion in Trinidad, when 

 a pair was seen at Palo Seco on August 29, 1920. 



In British Guiana in 1916 I observed them closely for several 

 weeks and from their method of swooping in the air just above the 

 level of the trees I came to the conclusion that they feed on some 

 large insect — possibly beetles or dragon flies. 



Sometimes the prey — whatever it is — is held in the foot and 

 pulled to pieces with the beak during flight. 



Belt in A Naturalist in Nicaragua Chapter XII says he shot 

 several and found their crops full of cicadas. 



Family COLUMBIDAE Pigeons. 



86. Columbina rufipennis, Bonap. Red Ground Dove. 



Chamaepelia rufipennis. Leotaud No. 198. 



This is a small reddish brown dove with a greyer head and back. 



It is common and occasionally abundant in most of the sugar-cane 



growing districts of the Island. I have the following nesting records : 



(1) On August 1 1, 1919 at Tarouba in a hibiscus hedge, about 



five feet from the ground. The nest is small for the size 



of the bird and is made of twigs and grass. It contamed 



two young with black quills showing. By August lo 



the young had left the nest. 



