THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 189 



believe has confused it in part with the white-headed pigeon which 

 he does not mention in his list, and which is today the predominately 

 abundant species of large pigeon in the area mentioned. Verrill 

 records the plain pigeon as rarer than the squamated pigeon. Abbott 

 secured specimens at San Lorenzo, on Samana Bay, July 28, 1916, 

 and March 19, 1919, and one at Sanchez February 22, 1919. He 

 thought that they were nesting in the mangroves at San Lorenzo in 

 March but was not certain. R. H. Beck collected specimens at San- 

 chez November 6 and 23, 1916, and a series on Loma Tina from 

 January 8 to 24, 1917. 



Wetmore found a few at the mouth of the Arroyo Barrancota 

 May 8, 1927, and one at the mouth of the Yuna May 10. Near 

 Constanza from May 20 to 27 they were fairly common both among 

 the pines and in the rain forest, though most in evidence in the pines 

 because of the more open branches. The hooting of males at a dis- 

 tance suggested the calls of owls but near at hand came to the ear 

 as kr-r-r-r coo-ivhoo-hoo, coo-whoo-hoo the first note being a gut- 

 tural growl, followed by slow, hooting calls. At times the guttural 

 note was omitted. When calling they perched on dead limbs in 

 the tops of tall trees where they had view over the surrounding- 

 country. Males were truculent like most pigeons and were seen 

 driving one another about. 



Bitter must have had the present species in mind when he listed 

 Columha caribaea from Haiti. The species is also included from 

 Haiti by Cory and Tippenhauer, but the only definite records ap- 

 pear to be those of Wetmore who saw several along the road between 

 Maissade and Hinche April 21, 1927, and found them common near 

 Hinche April 22 to 24, preparing a pair as skins on April 22 and 

 others as skulls and skeletons on that date and the day following. 

 They were the most common of the large pigeons in this vicinity, 

 frequenting the large trees along the streams and ravines, particu- 

 larly along the Ravine Papaye. They rested in little groups of two 

 to ten, sometimes in dead trees and sometimes on leafy branches, 

 and true to their reputation in other islands were far less wary than 

 other doves so that they were easily approached. They sat quietly 

 arranging their plumage or resting, and when alarmed drew up 

 very straight with the head fully erect, finally taking flight with a 

 loud clapping of wings to dart rapidly away. The breeding season 

 was at hand and on April 23 a nest was found in a mango tree 

 standing in a little clearing near the Ravine Papaye. The struc- 

 ture, placed twenty feet from the ground among branches where a 

 denser growth of leaves than ordinary furnished shelter, was a plat- 

 2134—31 13 



