318 G. E. Verrill — JBauna of the Island of Dominica. 



the watch for anything in the nature of meat that Ave might throw 

 out. Besides these small bats we several times observed much larger 

 ones of one or more species which I suj)pose were some kind of 

 fruit bats, but Ave Avere unable to procure any, as Ave neA'er saAV them 

 except Avhen it Avas quite dark, too dark to shoot with any accuracy 

 at an object moving so swiftly and seen for so short a time as they 

 Avere Avhen suddenly darting across the narrow trail bordered by 

 thick Avoods on each side. These large bats Avere seen almost ex- 

 clusiA^ely at a short distance from the coast, and I think they are 

 confined to the less elevated portions of the island. 



Besides the bats, there are found here a species of agouti and an 

 opossum, or opossum-like animal, called "Manacou" by the natives, 

 the latter having been introduced, but both are noAv quite common, 

 and the agouti forms quite an article of diet among the natives. 

 The common rats and mice are exceedingly abundant, but Ave saAV no 

 native ones at all. 



List of Birds obtained and observed, icith Hotes on their Habits, 



Nests, and Eggs. 



Plates xxa% xxvi, xxa^ii. 



The following notes on the habits are from the combined observa- 

 tions of my brother, A. H. Verrill, and myself. The descriptions of 

 the nests and eggs themseh^es, unless otherAvise stated, I ha\'e made 

 from the specimens actually obtained by my brother and now in the 

 Peabody Museum, but the notes on the nesting habits, etc., are 

 mainly by him.* 



Unless otherwise stated the measurements given Avere made from 

 the fresh specimens at the time of collection, and are giA^en in inches 

 in the following order : length, Aving, tail, extent. In some cases, 

 AA^here they may be useful for comparison, I haA^e added measure- 

 ments of the bill (exposed culmen unless otherwise stated), and tarsus, 

 both made from the skins. The measurements of the eggs are in 

 decimals of an inch. In most cases I have given the measurements 

 of several specimens to shoAV the A^ariation. 



The sex was carefully determined in all cases by dissection, and in 

 one or two cases the previous conclusions with regard to the plumage 

 of the adult female are shown to have been erroneous. 



* As I did uot arrive in Dominica until the latter part of April, when tlie breeding 

 season was nearly over, we took few nests after my arrival. 



