on some Bahama Birds.



61



lighter stripes. This species is a strong flier, and when

disturbed, often flies long distances ; the} 7 have also a habit of

running on the ground among the roots of the mangrove, so that

even if you have watched a bird into a particular bush, it may

be no easy matter to get a glimpse of it on a nearer approach.


The Belted Kingfisher (Ccryle alcyoii) is frequently met

with during the winter, although it can hardly be considered

common, and is, as a rule, a very 7 shy and wary bird, flying out of

the tall mangrove clumps long before close observation has been

possible; and, making its wav 7 with long undulating flight to the

shelter, it will settle, and by 7 its chattering alarm the whole

neighbourhood. When fishing they 7 would remind me very 7

much of a Kestrel, or other small hawk, for which I have at times

mistaken them ; they 7 hang over the water with rapidly vibrating

wings and, making a downward swoop, rise again to a similar

elevation some thirty 7 or forty yards farther on, and thus work

along the shore of the lagoon. When a fish is seen they 7 make a

swift dash at it, and, if successful, they almost invariably retire to

a conspicuous position to devour it.


As would be naturally expected, these large and shallow

lagoons abound during the winter with Ducks, and although a

good many 7 species occur, only 7 three or four of them can be called

common, and foremost amongst these is the Bahama Duck

(.Dafila bahamcnsis'). This fine Duck is probably 7 well known to

many members, as it is frequently 7 imported. In colour it is

light brown, spotted all over with a darker shade with the

exception of the tail, which is lighter, appearing conspicuously 7

so when on the wing, and the sides of the face and throat, which

are pure white. The beak is black with a bright triangular

crimson patch at the base of the upper mandible ? in some

specimens this patch is much paler, or even y 7 ellow. Although

belonging to the genus Dafila, i.e., true Pintails, the central

tail-feathers do not greatly exceed the others in length, and are

hardly 7 more pointed than those in many other genera. These

Ducks, which are met with in flocks of from half-a-dozen to

several hundreds, inhabit, as a rule, the inland lagoons, being-

found more rarely 7 on the sea shore ; they 7 are fairly 7 tame, and



