WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON 375 



are evidently absent from the Florida Keys in winter, and Mr. 

 Todd (1916) says of their exodus from the Isle of Pines: 



This is a common species everywhere, except in the Cienaga, appearing in 

 flocks late in February, and remaining until the last of September. Although 

 a few stragglers may be seen through the winter months, the vast majority 

 of the individuals withdraw at that season from their usual range and accord- 

 ing to native report resort to the " south coast," in great numbers. It is one 

 of the most numerous birds of the various mountain ridges in the interior of the 

 island during the breeding-season, which begins in May. 



This last movement is northward to the larger land area of Cuba, 

 probably to find a better food supply. The birds that breed on the 

 Florida Keys are probably those that migrate northward to the 

 mainland of Florida in winter. Recent information indicates that 

 these pigeons migrate to extreme southern Florida occasionally, per- 

 haps regularly, in winter. Gilbert R. Rossignol writes me that he 

 saw some of these pigeons between Flamingo and Coot Bay five 

 different times between December 30, 1928, and February 24, 1929. 

 He says : " I recall seeing three at one time and a pair here and there 

 between the first and third bridges, but mostly around the second 

 bridge, where there is considerable open country due to some farm- 

 ing and a burnt district." Frank N. Irving, who was with Mr. Ros- 

 signol on some of these trips, tells me that he saw the white-crowned 

 pigeons in the same region during March, 1928, and January and 

 February, 1929. I wrote to Harold H. Bailey for his experience, 

 and he replied that he has taken several on the mainland at Cape 

 Sable and has seen flocks there of 20 or 30 birds, or more, many 

 times ; they were feeding in the higher foliage of the Florida holly 

 and other berry-bearing trees. He has not found a nest on the main- 

 land and thinks they come there to feed only and spend the winter 

 near abundant food. He says that a similar movement takes place 

 in the Bahamas, where the pigeons desert their breeding grounds on 

 the outlying keys and come to Andros Island to spend the winter. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southern Florida, the West Indies, and locally in central 

 Central America. 



The range of the white-crowned pigeon extends north to southern 

 Florida (probably Dry Tortugas, Key West, Bahia Honda, Cape 

 Sable, Coconut Grove, and Indian Key) ; and the Bahama Islands 

 (Abaco Island). East to the Bahama Islands (Abaco, New Provi- 

 dence, Green Cay, and Mariguana Island) ; and the Lesser Antilles 

 (Barbuda Island and Antigua Island) . South to the Lesser Antilles 

 (Antigua and St. Croix Islands) ; Porto Rico (Vieques Island, Punta 

 Picua, and Mona Island) ; Haiti (San Domingo and Jacmel) ; 



