452 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



cipal port, Point a Pitre, is situated near the Ei^iere Salee and in Grande 

 Terre. It contains a small musoiim, the Mttsee de Lhenninier, which, 

 under the energetic superintendence of its (Ih'ectevr, Monsieur L. Vitrac, 

 promises to become of importance. 



"It was founded by the late Dr. L'Herminier, who was an ardent natu- 

 ralist, and discovered many new birds in this island and Martinique, 

 some 40 years ago. His collections, containing type specimens, and 

 all his manuscript notes (I cannot ascertain that he ever published the 

 results of his observations), perished in a disastrous fire that swept over 

 Point a Pitre a few years since. Few birds are, as yet, in the museum ^ 

 but there are very excellent and complete collections of Crustacea, etc., 

 and many fine si)ecimens of aboriginal implements. It owes much of 

 its progressiveness to its present directeiu-, and to Messieurs L. Guesde 

 and St. F^lix Colardeau, both of whom, one in archjeology and the other 

 in ornithology, take active part in promoting its advaucement. 



"There are a few birds here I did not find in any other island. The 

 most prominent one is the Woodpecker, locally known as the ' Tappeur\ 

 and named by Lesson Ficus Lherminieri. I made a special excursion to 

 obtain this bii*d, which is not abundant anywhere, and only found in 

 certain localities. 



"Another bird, the ^Perdix croissant,^ I found in this island, not hav- 

 ing seen it, or even heard of it, in any other. Of this species I brought 

 three alive to New York, of which two survived the passage. 



"My collections here were made during the months of August and 

 September; in obtaining them I visited the volcano and all adjacent 

 forests on the west side, a valley half way down the west coast, the 

 north side of the island, and places contiguous to Point a Pitre, and 

 about the southern end of Grande Terre. 



"To the gentlemen named above and to Monsieur G. Hurd, the Birec- 

 teur WInterieur, and the U. S. consul, Capt. Chas. Bartlett, I am indebted 

 for assistance in various matters. 



•'FREDERICK A. OBER. 



"Beverly, Mass., Jan. 1, 1878." 



Fam. TURDID^. 



1. Margarops herminieri (Lair.). 



" 'Pied jaune.' 



"Length, <?, lOi in.; alar extent, 17 ; wing, 5i. 



"Length, 9, 10 in.; alar extent, 17; wing, 5|. 



" A resident of the wooded hills and mountains; found in Dominica 

 in the same localities as the Perdix, woods sufficiently free from under- 

 brush to aflbrd places for scratching. The places where they have dis- 

 turbed the earth by scratching are frequently seen in the paths, where 

 the woods are thick, and in the open forest. They will come quickly at 



