THE OOLOQIST 



125 



just at dusk, July 13th. Nothing new 

 was seen and in fact very few birds 

 were seen on the return trip, due to a 

 heavy wind and sea. A total of thirty- 

 three species of birds was recorded 

 on this trip, which considering the 

 season, and that the Isle is not rich 

 in bird life, generally speaking, was 

 exceptionally good for one day, the 

 second day being simply a repetition 

 of the first. A. C. Read. 



Isle of Pines, Cuba. 



Summer Birds of Santa Barbara, Isle 

 of Pines, Cuba. 



Of course we have various members 

 of the Warbler family here all winter, 

 so that it is very difficult to say which 

 are spring migrants and which are 

 winter residents. Thefefore, strictly 

 speaking the first warning we have 

 that summer and the rainy season 

 are coming is when we hear the sweet 

 warble of the Black-whiskered Vireo, 

 one of our most abundant summer 

 residents. It is found here in almost 

 every thicket or small grove during 

 the summer. About the first arrival is 

 the loth of March and the last that it 

 is still common is October, although a 

 few stragglers may be found almost 

 any time during the year. 



Inland the shore birds are another 

 harbinger of spring, though on the 

 coast they may be found all winter. 

 Among these are the Spotted Sandpip- 

 er, Solitary Sandpijier, West Indian 

 Killdeer, and Wilson Snii)e. All but 

 the Killdeer are on their northward 

 journey. 



The next to arrive (about the last 

 of March) is the Cuban Martin. It Is 

 the fore runner of the Swallow family, 

 which straggle in from the middle of 

 April. The Cuban si)ecies of Martin 

 and Cliff Swallow are the only kinds 

 which I have found staying all sum- 

 mer. 



The Antillean Xighthawk arrives 



about the first week in April and its 

 "Spiggoty" is one of the commonest 

 bird notes during the summer even- 

 ings. It is shortly followed by its 

 very rare cousin the Cuban ^^^lip-lK)or- 

 will. 



Among other of our summer birds 

 to arrive in April are the Gray King- 

 bird, White-crowned Pigeon, and "El 

 Bobo" Pipeon, Columba squamosa. The 

 latter is fast nearing extinction. 

 Though formerly abundant all over 

 the Isle, it is now only locally found 

 on the West Coast or perhaps more 

 correctly speaking the extreme west- 

 ern side of the island including the 

 South Coast. 



Some of our summer birds which 

 are here the year around are as fol- 

 lows: the Cuban species of Ground 

 Dove, Meadowlark, Sparrow Hawk, 

 Kingbird, Oriole, Grackle, Parrot, 

 Crested Flycatcher, Tody, Pygmy and 

 Barn Owls, Green and red-bellied 

 Woodpeckers, Pewee, Quail, Crane, 

 Green and White Herons; Southern 

 Turkey Buzzard, Isle of Pines, Tanag- 

 er and Lizard Cuckoo, Ani, Yellow-fac- 

 ed and ;\Telodious Grassquits, Red-leg- 

 ged Thrush, W. I. Mourning Dove, 

 Belted Kingfisher, Ricords Hummer, 

 Gundlachs Vireo, Louisiana Heron, 

 Black' and Yellow-crowned Night 

 Herons, Great and Little Blue and 

 Snowy Herons, White Ibis, W. I. Tree 

 Duck, Fla. Cormorant, Caracara, Rudy 

 Quail Dove and Cuban Crab Hawk. 

 A. C. Read. 



Books Received. 



Handbook of Birds of Eastern North 

 America, Revised Edition, May, 1912. 



This work needs no commendation 

 nor introduction from us nor from any 

 other oologist. It stands in a class by 

 itself and si)eaks for itself, is typical- 

 ly Chapman, and that means that it is 

 a valuable i)roduction, containing as 

 it does something over T^oo pages, a 



