24



Mr. Russell Humphrys,



Wren. The Pine Warbler is a bird of similar stamp but of rather

stouter build, the upper parts being green and the lower parts

yellow. In habits it does not differ appreciably from any of its

congeners, and I have often shot it from among a flock ot Yellow-

throated Warblers. Such Pigeons as are found in the islands

may be looked for in the barrens, but, with the exception of the

White-crowned Pigeon, which is most abundant on the cays, and

of the Ground Dove, which abounds everywhere, the three or

four remaining species are all rather scarce and need not be

noticed here. The Ground, or as it is locally termed the Tobacco,

Dove is a most abundant resident and is common everywhere,

whether it be in the thick bush or in the pine barrens, on a

lonely desolate cay, in the gardens of the town, or even along the

roadside. It is a bird now too well known to aviculturists to

need a special description here, and is almost invariably met with

in pairs. It feeds and lives entirely on the ground, but when

flushed perches immediately on the nearest tree or wall. It breeds

practically all the year round and the nest, which is the flimsy

twig structure of all Pigeons, is placed either on the ground or

on a tree or bush at any height up to io or 12 feet. When the

nest is approached the parent does not go far away, and by her

solicitude betrays the fact of its existence, although a close search

is then required to find it, especially if it be 011 the ground, as it

is by no means conspicuous. The food seems to consist almost

entirely of a hard black seed (sp. ?), though it may be easily

trapped with any bait, and in confinement, becomes very tame,

feeding on very small grain.


( To be continued).



THE RUFOUS-BELLIED NILTAVA OR

FAIRY BLUE CHAT.


Niltava su?idara.


By Russell Humphrys.


It may perhaps be of interest to our members to have a

short account of an example of Niltava sundara which came

into my possession early in June this year.


“ The genus Niltava ,” says Oates, “ contains three species



