THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 297 



Columbian Mus., Ornith, ser., vol. 1, 1S96, pp. 20-21 (Santo Domingo City, 

 Catarrey, Aguacate, specimens). — Peters, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 16, 1917, 

 p. 412 (Estero Balsa, Sosua, Los Toritos, specimens). — Kaempfer, Journ. fur 

 Ornith., 1924, pp. 183-184 (Sanchez, specimens). — Lonnberg, Fauna och Flora, 

 1920, p. 104 (Haiti). 



Nesoctites micromegas micromegas, Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 vol. 80, 1928, p. 505 (Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Fond Parisien, Trou Forban, 

 Ennery, Massif du Nord, Plaine du Nord). — Danforth, Auk, 1929. pp. 309-370 

 (recorded). 



Resident, locally common. 



The piculet is a shy inhabitant of forests where it creeps about in 

 such cover that it is seen with difficulty. Little is known at present 

 of its habits. 



Most of the available records pertain to the Dominican Republic. 

 Salle speaks of it as very rare in the forests near Higuey. He lists 

 another bird as " Bucco cayennensis " 19 that is supposed to be the 

 present species which he says he found in deep forest. Cory collected 

 specimens at Samana June 2, and September 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8, and 

 at Rivas August 24, in 1883. Tristram received a female from 

 Samana, collected in 1883 by C. McGrigor. Cherrie says that he 

 secured a series of 25 at Santo Domingo City, Catarrey and Agua- 

 cate. Verrill writes that he obtained it only at Samana and San- 

 chez. Peters collected four in the spring of 1916 at Estero Balsa, 

 Sosiia and Los Toritos. He describes its song as a series of six 

 whistled notes from which the species derives its local name of 

 flautero. Beck took specimens near Sanchez May 28, October 9 

 and 10, and November 4, 16, 17 and 23, 1916. 



Abbott found the piculet common at Laguna on the Samana Pen- 

 insula, and says that though not shy it was difficult to see because 

 of its inconspicuous coloration. He collected specimens there on 

 March 9, and August 11, and 13, 1919. On March 30 of that year 

 his bo}r, John King, brought him a set of four eggs from a hole in 

 an alligator pear tree 12 feet from the ground, reporting that he had 

 a good view of the parent bird as it left the nest. These eggs, which 

 proved to be very hard set, are rounded oval in form and white in 

 color with a distinct gloss. They measure 19.1 by 17.0, 19.4 by 16.6, 

 19.8 by 16.5 and 20.0 by 16.6 mm. A single egg also secured by John 

 King near Laguna May 19, 1919 measures 21.1 by 16.2. This speci- 

 men was heavily incubated. Skins were obtained at Rojo Cabo 

 August 30, 1916, Port Rincon August 17, 18, and 19, 1919, and at 

 Pimentel January 22, 1921. In a female taken at Port Rincon 

 Abbott has marked the iris as reddish brown and the feet greenish 

 slate. 



19 Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1857, p. 234. 



