254 Messrs. A. and E. Newton's Observations 



about on the roads, rather like a Starling (Sturnus) both in its 

 habit of taking short flights and quick manner of picking up 

 things from the ground as it goes. It breeds in various situa- 

 tions, sometimes on the ground amongst the Guinea-grass, at 

 others in a low bush, or even on the Sugar-canes, and occasion- 

 ally tolerably high up on a Manchioneel, in which case it often 

 selects a tuft of " Old-man' s-beard " {Tillandsia) as a foundation 

 for its nest, which is a more compact structure than that built 

 by most Doves. 



" On April 6th, 1857, as I was riding, I started a Ground- 

 Dove from its nest on a Manchioneel-tree that had been cut 

 off about five feet from the ground. The stump was about a 

 hand's breadth in diameter; and the middle of it having rotted 

 away, a sort of cup was formed by the upstanding bark, just of 

 a convenient size to hold the nest, which consisted merely of a 

 few bits of dried grass. The whole affair reminded me very 

 much of a nest of a Mealy Redpoll {JEffiothus linai'ia (L.) ; 

 Fringilla borealis, Temm.) which I once saw in Norway. 



" The brighter colours of this little Dove distinguish it even on 

 the wing from its northern ally, the Ground-Dove of the United 

 States, C. passerina (Sw.)." — A. N. 



In this bird the bill is pinkish-brown, darkest at the tip. 

 The iris consists of four rings : the outer one, which is narrow, is 

 black ; the second about three times as broad and lake-pink ; the 

 third, a mere line, black ; and the fourth and inside one, gold. 

 The feet are flesh-colour, the claws dark. 



We have specimens of this species from Jamaica, in every 

 respect identical with those from St. Croix and St. Thomas. 



We wish to record our obligations to Mr. George Gray, of the 

 British Museum, for his kind assistance on many points, but 

 most especially in determining the Columbida here mentioned. 



t 29. Virginian Quail. Ortyx virginianus, Bp.; Wils.pl. 47; 

 Aud. pi. 76 ; Yarr. B. B. ii. p. 348 (fig.). " Quail." 



Introduced into the island some fifty years ago, or more, by 

 one of the Governors, and now very common in almost every 

 part of it, but especially abundant in the grass-lands of the 

 south-west, where the loud call- note of the cock may nearly 

 always be heard. We have several times seen birds of this 



