THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 47 



known about Constanza in the Dominican Republic may be found 

 on La Selle or in northern Haiti when the mountains of that repub- 

 lic have been more thoroughly explored. 



Some peculiarities of distribution are of interest though in some 

 cases without apparent cause. To date there seem to be no records 

 from the Samana Peninsula for the elsewhere omnipresent ground 

 dove. This peninsula it will be recalled is a mountainous ridge 

 separated from other high ground by a broad area of lowland swamp 

 so that it is in effect an island. If the ground dove occurs in that 

 area it is local and has escaped record by collectors. Oreopeleia 

 leucometopius and Brachyspiza capensis antillarum are known only 

 from the high interior of the island in the region extending from 

 near El Rio and Constanza to Tiibano and the mountains above San 

 Juan. The handsome thrush Haplocichla swalesi has been found 

 only on the high ridge of Morne La Selle, and Phaenicophilus 

 poliocephalus poliocephalus is known only in the western part of the 

 southwestern peninsula, except for the geographic race P. p. coryi 

 of Gonave Island, though its close relative Phaenicophilas palmarum 

 palmarum ranges universally through the main island. 



As of interest in this discussion of distribution there is summa- 

 rized in following paragraphs what is known of the birds to be found 

 on some of the small islands adjacent to the coasts of Haiti and the 

 Dominican Republic. 



BIRDS OF GONAVE ISLAND 



Gonave Island, the largest of the separate islands tributary to the 

 main island of Hispaniola, has much of romantic interest, and has 

 been the object of considerable research since its peculiarities were 

 first made known by Dr. W. L. Abbott. The total list reported 

 from it is now 84 forms which seems fairly complete though nu- 

 merous others may be expected. Resident birds on Gonave show 

 a decided tendency to variation in the direction of slightly larger 

 size and grayer coloration from those of adjacent Haiti so that 

 there have been recognized 7 geographic races as peculiar to Gonave 

 alone, all of these being allied to Haitian forms. Following is the 

 complete list known for Gonave on present information: 



Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis 



Sula leucogastra leucogastra 



Fregata magnificens 



Ardea herodias adoxa 



Hydranassa tricolor rujicoTlis 



Florida caerulea caerulescens 



Butorides virescens maculatus 



Nyctanassa violacea violacea 



Phoenicopterus ruber 



