PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 351 



side. From there I scoured the hills and valleys to 'Ance du Diamaut' 

 on the southern point, near the famous Diamond Eock, and thoroughly 

 canvassed that historic ground, trodden 100 years ago by the leet of the 

 beautiful Empress of the French. In the Jardin des Plantcs, in the sub- 

 urbs of St. Pierre, I had permission to shoot, through the courtesy of 

 the directeur, Monsieur Chs. Belanger. But though these gardens are 

 extensive and beautiful, crowded with trees and shrubs of the Tropics, 

 secluded and forbidden to the ordinary chasseur, I found very few spe- 

 cies and no great numbers of any one species. 



"Throughout the island there exists such a dread of the 'serpent', 

 the Iron lance {Trigonocephalus lanccolatus), that I found it impossil)leto 

 obtain a good boy, to assist me in finding the haunts of birds. More 

 than once I have been startled by the cry of 'serpent' and found that 

 my coloured brother had absconded. 



" Though at first inclined to believe in the oft-repeated stories of deaths 

 from snakebites, I soon found that the number of serpents was either 

 grossly exaggerated, or they took good care to keep out of my way, for 

 in all my tramps I saw bnt two large ones. 



" There are, however, numerous deaths from these noxious reptiles 

 during the cane season. The serpent prefers the cane fields, where he 

 hunts the numerous rats ; and, as my ground for hunting is any but the 

 cane, for birds, this may be the reason we met so seldom. I cannot say 

 that I was anxious to find one, howcA'er ; though I did not let the possi- 

 ble i^resence interfere with my regular work. 



" My thanks and those of the Institution are due to Capt. W. A. Gar- 

 field, U. S. Consul; Monsieur Chs. Belanger, directeur du Jardin des 

 Plantes, and Monsieur Louis Hartmann." 



Fam. TURDIDtE. 



1. Margarops hemiinieri (Lafr.). 

 " ' Grive a pieds jaunes.' 



" Eare, owing to the persecution of hunters." 



2. Margarops densirostris (Vieill.). 

 '"Gros Grive.' 



"Not common, being the chief bird sought by the hunters in the hunt- 

 ing season, consequently shy." 



3. Margarops montanus (Vieill.). 

 " ' Grivette.' Iris yellow. 



"Length, <?, 10 in.; alar extent, 14; wing, 4 J. 



"Like the same species of Dominica, it prefers the higher hills and 

 mountains, the deep woods and their borders, and detached wood with 

 deep shade. As numerous apparently as in Dominica." 



4. Cinclocerthia gutturalis (Lafr.). 



" ' Trembleur.' Eesident. » 



"Length, (?, 0.^ in.; alar extent, 13; wiug, 4^. 



