THE BIRDS OF ANDROS ISLAND, BAHAMAS 61 



46. Cathartes aura Linn. Turkey Buzzard. " Crow." — Very common 

 on Andros, but more were seen on New Providence. 



47. Columba leucocephala Linn. White-crowned Pigeon. — Very abundant 

 during the spring and summer. In the evening we often watched them flying 

 from Andros in the direction of New Providence. The people said that they were 

 going to Green Bay, a distance of fifty miles. A female shot on June 28 was 

 almost ready to lay. 



48. Columbigallina passerina Linn. — Called "Ground Dove," and "To- 

 bacco Dove" by the natives. Exceedingly common both on Andros and New 

 Providence. They generally fly about in small flocks of three to six, and are very 

 tame. 



49. Zenaida zenaida Bonap. Zenaida Dove. — Not as abundant as the 

 White-crowned Pigeon, but not uncommon in the coppet. They were shy, and 

 were heard much oftener than seen. 



50. Charadrius squatarola Linn. — A pair of Black-bellied Plovers was 

 shot on the shore near Red Bays, Andros, on April 14. 



51. jEgialitis vocifera Linn. — The Killdeer was first seen near Fresh 

 Creek on the 1st of June, and on the 7th two were shot. They both proved to be 

 males, with the testes enlarged to about .5 inch in diameter. The species was not 

 abundant, and but few were afterward seen. 



52. ^gialitis wilsonia Ord. Wilson's Plover. — Abundant and very tame. 

 It was found on almost all the sandy beaches, where it would sometimes run along 

 just ahead of us for nearly half a mile, appearing quite to forget that it could get 

 out of our way by flying. This species is known to breed in the Bahamas. 1 



53. Haematopus palliatus Temm. American Oyster-catcher. "Sea-pie." — 

 One of these birds was obtained near Red Bay on April 15. It was feeding on 

 the extensive sand flats at low tide. Later, others were occasionally seen in similar 

 places. It is said to breed in the Bahamas. 2 



54. Himantopus mexicanus Mull. Black-necked Stilt. — A flock of these 

 birds was seen in one of the lakes on the west side of Andros on April 21, and a 

 pair were secured. We afterwards found them occasionally in the marshes. On 

 June 17 we saw quite a number of these birds in the swash near Wide Opening. 

 Our man said that this was the kind of place in which they bred, and later we 

 found a nest. It was simply a slight depression in the ground, and contained 

 four ovate eggs of an olive-green color, blotched with brown, measuring 1^ to ij 

 inches by i\. 



55. Symphemia semipalmata Gmel. Willet. — Commonly known as 

 " Tell-Bill-Willy." Very abundant in all the creeks and swashes. The ovaries 

 of those shot on May 31 were much enlarged. 



*56. Actitis macularia Linn. Spotted Sandpiper. "Sandbird." — One 

 specimen, a female, was shot on the west side of the island, April 21, and was the 

 only one seen during our trip. As Cory obtained only three specimens in 1879, 

 it is doubtful if it is a resident. 



1 Cory, "Birds of Bahamas," p. 14. 



2 Bryant, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. VII, p. 121. 



