THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 329 



In the Dominican Republic, where this species is known as cao, 

 the palm crow was first recorded by the Herzog von Wiirttemberg 

 who gave it its scientific name and says that he found it in the Cibao 

 range without specifying a more definite locality. Salle says that 

 he observed it in the arid sections between Bani and Azua. Cherrie 

 found it at San Jose de Ocoa, which goes under the colloquial name 

 of Maniel. Verrill lists it but does not give any locality. Abbott 

 collected a female at Polo, in the Bahoruco Mountains March 6, 1922, 

 and found it common near Constanza, where he collected skins Sep- 

 tember 22 and October 2, 1916, and April 7 and 8, 1919. He notes 

 that a pair taken April 7 had a newly finished nest ten meters from 

 the ground in a pine tree. Others were building nests at this same 

 time. At Lake Enriquillo from October 1 to 6, 1919, he found these 

 birds common. In 1927 Wetmore found a few palm crows in the 

 swamps at the mouth of the Arroyo Barrancota on Samana Bay 

 May 8, and recorded them as fairly common in certain sections near 

 Constanza May 24 to 27. They were found in little groups that in 

 company fed on the ground or rested in the trees. They were often 

 resentful of human intrusion and at times came to scold vigorously 

 at unusual actions. On one occasion three came with raucous calls 

 within fifteen feet of the observer jerking their drooping wings and 

 elevated tails vigorously. The tongue does not show at all between 

 the mandibles while the bird is calling, being concealed in its normal 

 position between the mandibles on the floor of the mouth. Dan- 

 forth in the summer of 1927 found this crow common in June in 

 the brushy region between Monte Cristi and Navarrete. They were 

 molting at this time. They were also common in the rolling coun- 

 try about Las Matas. In three stomachs he found lizards, snails, 

 Coleoptera (including Prepodes and Calosoma) caterpillars, a 

 cicada, other Hemiptera, fruit pulp, and seeds. 



In Haiti in 1829 Wiirttemberg recorded this species from 

 Mirebalais and from " Escabobas," the latter perhaps being the 

 modern Las Cahobes. Cory collected specimens at Gantier on March 

 6, 1881, one of these being now in the United States National 

 Museum. He says that the birds were shot as game, their flesh 

 being considered a great delicacy. Paul Bartsch in 1917 found them 

 at Thomazeau April 2, near Glore April 3, Trou Caiman April 4, and 

 near Petit Goave April 8 and 9. Others were recorded near Port-au- 

 Prince April 21, 22i, 25 and 27, and on April 24 he collected a fine set 

 of four eggs on the Cul-de-Sac Plain at the base of Morne a Cabrits. 

 These eggs are light Niagara green, covered rather evenly with diffuse 

 spots of clove brown and dark olive, the spots being moderately 

 large and somewhat uneven in outline. These eggs measure 36.7 by 

 26.2, 37.1 by 26.4, 37.6 by 24.0, and 38.2 by 24.8 mm. W. L. Abbott 



