105 



dered at, as the Gulf Stream is so narrow that I think when soar- 

 ing at the greatest height to which they attain they must be able 

 to see the main land, and if so, doubtlessly pass to and fro. No 

 specimen of the Cjota was seen. 



Falco anatum. One dead bird seen at Norman's Pond Key. 

 This was an adult male in fine plumage. 



Tinnunculus sparverius. Two specimens seen at Nassau, and 

 one at Great Stirrup Key. 



Accipiter fuscus. This appeared to be the most common hawk. 

 A number were seen at different places. I was told by many of 

 the inhabitants that a large red hawk was not uncommon in the 

 South Keys, but I saw no other species than those mentioned 

 above and the fish hawk. 



Pandion Carolinensis. Fish hawks were found throusrhout the 

 Bahamas, but nowhere so abundantly as in parts of the United 

 States. The nests which I saw were placed in entirely different 

 situations from those chosen by this bird with us ; resembling 

 more nearly in this respect the European species. They were 

 all built on the ground ; two that I examined at Water Key, 

 Ragged Islands, were placed on the edge of a cliff at an elevation 

 of about forty feet from the water, very bulky, at least five feet 

 in height and six in diameter, composed entirely of materials taken 

 from the neighboring beaches, principally the horny skeletons of 

 Gorgonias, sponges, bits of drift wood, and sea-weeds. They 

 had been recently repaired and the cavities lined with fresh gulf 

 weed. On the 20tli of April, the date of my last visit to them, 

 they contained neither eggs nor young. The eggs in the ovary 

 of a female, shot at this time, were of the size of small peas. The 

 plumage of this specimen differed from any I ever saw in the 

 United States ; the whole upper part of the head, nape, and hind 

 neck was white without any admixture of brown ; no difference 

 was observed in the comparative measurements. I intended to 

 have preserved it, but unfortunately before I was ready to skin it 

 the cook plucked it for his private table. 



Crotophaga Icevirostris ? A species of Crotophaga was quite 



abundant in the environs of Nassau. The description of the 



habits of the G. ani by Gosse, is applicable in every particular to 



the present bird. I procured a number of specimens ; in all of 



hem the bills were quite smooth. The present bird is certainly 



