119 



ci^ca f in length, of an oblong form. Pancreas, with only one 

 lobe. Liver, large; the right lobe 14 X 5^ X 3 in its principal 

 diameter ; the left lobe, 10X6X3. Contents of the stomach, 

 small insects, and in one case, the skin of a small larva, about 

 three quarters of an inch in length. 



Spermophila hicolor. This is the little Bahama sparrow of 

 Catesby. It takes the place, at Nassau, of the F. socialis with us, 

 and is equally unsuspicious and domestic in its habits. In the 

 town, they were much more numerous than in the environs. I 

 do not remember seeing any at a distance from the road. It is 

 called Parroquet by the inhabitants. 



Spermophila violacea. This bird certainly does not belong in 

 the same genus as the hicolor. It is placed by Bonaparte in the 

 genus Pyrrhulauda^ which I have, however, been unable to find 

 described, and have therefore left it as placed by Gray. This 

 sparrow is quite showy, and abounds in the environs of Nassau ; 

 its principal food, at the time of my visit, was the chicken-pea ; 

 these it shells with ease. It is called Spanish Parroquet by the 

 inhabitants. 



Dolichonyx orizyvora. On the evening of the Gth of May 

 toward sunset, I saw a number of flocks of birds flying to the 

 westward, and counted nine in all. This was on Friday. The 

 next day the country was filled with Rice Birds, as they are 

 called there, and boys and men, in large numbers, turned out to 

 shoot them. I examined a quantity of them, all of which were 

 males in full plumage. Numerous flocks still continued to arrive 

 during this day and Sunday. On Monday, among those shot 

 were many females. On Tuesday, only a few were to be seen, 

 and on Wednesday they had entirely disappeared. 



Agelaius phceniceus. A friend brought me a young male of 

 this species on the 1st of March, one of three seen by him. 



Columha leucocephala. This bird is a constant resident, though 

 not frequently seen in the winter, at which time it is much less gre- 

 garious in its habits than in spring and summer. The number is 

 probably augmented during and after the breeding season by birds 

 that have passed the winter farther south. It breeds in commu- 

 nities, in some places, as at Grassy Kays, Andros Island, in vast 

 numbers ; here the nests were made on the tops of the prickly- 

 pear, which cover the whole kay. At the Biminis and Buena- 



