TYRAXXID-E — THE FLYCATCHERS. 321 



mountain-cabbage tree, from which place, in the breeding-season, it darted 

 down to attack almost any animal that passed near. Its favorite object of 

 attack was the Green Heron {Butoridcs vircscens), at which it would make 

 several well-directed swoops, ne\er lea^•ing it until it had driven it into some 

 sheltei', when, much pleased with its prowess, it would return to its lookout 

 station and celebrate its victory with cries of triumph. On one occasion 

 Mr. Newton observed a Gray Kingbird pursue a Green Heron out to sea 

 for a quarter of a mile and back. It is described as a very clamorous bird, 

 even when there is apparently no need ; taking alarm from the domestic 

 poultry, its oft-repeated notes were heard every morning before the dawn. 

 This noise it continued pertinaciously till sundown. Its food consists of 

 insects, which are cauglit with great dexterity on the wing. It also feeds 

 very largely on the black berries of a myrtle-leaved parasite that grows 

 abundantly on the orange-trees. The nest is often placed under the fronds 

 or among the spathes of a cocoanut or mountain-calibage tree, and sometimes 

 in any ordinary situation. It is described as flat in construction and large 

 for the size of the bird, being nearly a foot in diameter, composed of a plat- 

 form of twigs, in the midst of which is hollowed a cup lined with fine roots. 

 In St. Croix the eggs rarely exceeded three in number, and are spoken of as 

 exceedingly beautiful when fresh, of a delicate creamy white, marked at the 

 larger end with blotches and spots of pink or orange-brown, often disposed 

 in a zone. He found their eggs from May till August. 



Mr. Eichard Hill, of Spanishtown, Jamaica, in some interesting notes fur- 

 nished to Mr. Gosse, states that along the seaside savannas of that island 

 migrant flocks of these birds swarm early in September'. Xumbers then 

 congregate on the trees around the cattle ponds and about the open mead- 

 ows, pursuing the swarms of insects which fill the air at sundown. These 

 throngs are immediately joined by resident birds of this species, which 

 gather about the same places, and do not return to their usual abodes until 

 the breeding-season is at hand. 



The Jamaica bird is not exclusively an insect-feeder, but eats very freely 

 of the sweet wild berries, especially those of the pimento. These ripen in 

 September, and in groves of these this bird may always be found in 

 abundance. By the end of September most of the migi'ant birds have left 

 the island. 



This is among the earliest to breed of the birds of Jamaica. As early as 

 January the mated pair is said to be in possession of some lofty tree, 

 sounding at daj'-dawn a ceaseless shriek, which is composed of a repetition 

 of three or four notes, sounding like pe-chee-ry, according to Mr. Hill, and 

 from which they derive their local name. In these localities they remain 

 until autunni, when they quit these haunts and again congregate about the 

 lowland ponds. In feeding, just before sunset, they usually sit, eight or ten 

 in a row, on some exposed twig, darting from it in pursuit of their prey, and 

 returning to it to devour whatever they have caught. They are rapid in 



vor,. II. 41 



