on the Birds of St. Croix. 377 



may possibly turn out to be the Porto-Rican Chrysotis vittata 

 (Bodd.). Mr. Knox is aware that " two species of Humming- 

 birds visit the gardens," and truly remarks that the " Ground 

 Dove/' ChamcEpelia trochila (No. 28), is plentiful. He also 

 asserts that "the Green Pigeon (Columba Sancti Thomas [sic]), 

 and several other varieties from Porto Rico, are often found," 

 and that " Two species of hawk, the one much more numerous 

 than the other, are frequently seen," adding that " they prey 

 principally upon lizards," which is certainly true as far as 

 regards the common one, Tinnunculus sparverius (No. 3), as we 

 have observed. The statement that " The quail is very rare," 

 we are disposed to question, but not so that which follows : "A 

 single species, the owl, equally rare." At present, we are not 

 aware what this last-mentioned bird may be, but we have hopes 

 that Herr Riise will enable us to determine; it is even very 

 possible that more than one species may occur *. Mr. Knox 

 concludes his sketch as follows : — " The tropical sea birds, 

 especially the pelican and various species of gulls, visit the 

 coast and harbour. A small sandpiper, ducks, plover, king- 

 fisher, and green heron (Ardea viridus [sic]), are occasionally 

 seen." This last-mentioned bird is of course Butorides virescens 

 (No. 46). 



We before mentioned that we had good reason to believe that 

 some kind of Woodpecker was occasionally found in St. Croix ; 

 but we were unable to give any indication whereby the species, 

 or even the genus, could be ascertained. Apotheker Riise has 

 very recently transmitted to us a specimen of a Woodpecker 

 obtained by a collector employed by him, in Bieque or Crab 

 Island near Porto Rico, and pronounced by Mr. Sclater to be 

 the Picus portoricensis of Daudin (Ann, du Mus. d'Hist. Nat. ii. 

 p. 285), first discovered by Mauge (Ledru, Voyage, vol. ii. 

 p. 258), which belongs to that peculiarly American genus, 

 Melaneipes of Swainson. Melanerpes porto7-icensis may therefore 

 very likely be the species that is found in St. Croix. Mr. Riise 



* " Mr. Cassin of Philadelphia informed me, in September 1857, that 

 the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences at that place contained 

 a specimen of Sco2)S portoricensis from St. Thomas ; but it escaped my 

 memory to look for it in that magnificent collection." — A. N. 



