234 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Fam. TYRANNID^.. 



30. Tyrannu8 rostratus, Scl. 



" Loggerhead. Resident. 



" Extremely abundant; its cry of piperee, piperee, heard everywhere 

 from morn till night. Old pastures its favorite haunt; but where the 

 'Cabbage Palm' is found (the Oreodoya otivacea) there the Piperee de- 

 lights to stay, passing half the day perched upon the extreme lip of the 

 terminal apex of the tree, leaving it only to chase and capture some 

 insect flying by, or to sport a while with its mate." 



Fam TROCHILIDiE. 



11. Eulampis holosericeus (Linn.). 



"Violet- breast Hummer. Rather numerous." 



12. Orthorhynchus ezilis (Gm.). 

 "Crested Hummer. Very common. 



" More in the fields than the gardens; especially likes the Tamarind 



Fam CUCULIDiE. 



13. Coccyzus xaiuor (Gm.). 



" Four o'clock Bird. Sparsely distributed. Resident." 



Fam. STRiaiDuE. 



14. Speotyto amaura, Lawr. 



"Owl. Length, $ , 8^ in. ; alar extent, 21^ ; wing, 6f . 



" Length, 5 , 8^ in. ; alar extent, 21 ; wing, 6^. 



" Iris bright yellow. Called here, 'coo coo', from its hoot at night. 

 I considered it for a time as almost mythical, reports concerning its ex- 

 istence were so conflicting. Some described it as a large Bat, others 

 asserted that it was (judging from the size of its eyes) as large as a 'Gui- 

 nea Bird '; all agreed that it was a night-bird, that it lived in old drains, 

 holes in the cliffs and ruined walls ; and that its hoot would strike 

 terror to the stoutest heart. 



"Like its congener of Dominica, it has a bad name; and though it 

 may not be called here, as in Dominica, the ' Jumbie Bird' or bird of 

 evil si)irits — the name implies more than that — still it has the re[)utation 

 of being a bad character. The blacks declare that it will not hesitate 

 to tear the eyes out of any individual unfortunate enough to meet it at 

 night. ' Me rudder see de Debbil, any time', is their forcible way of 

 testifying to the powers, supernatural and otherwise, possessed by this 

 poor Owl. Finding it impossible to shoot, one, I offered a reward of two 

 shillings for the first Owl brought me, and within three hours had three 

 living birds which the men dug out of a cliff in the Chalk-hills. One 

 that I kept two days gave frequent utterance to a chattering cry, espe- 



