THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 383 



Dendroica p. palmarum, Beebe, Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 30 1927, p. 141 ; Beneath 

 Tropic Seas, 1928, p. 223.— Ekman, Ark. for Bot, vol. 22A, No. 16, 1929, p. 7 

 (Navassa). 



Dendroica palmarum palmarum, Peters, Bull. Mus. Cornp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, 

 p. 420 (Bulla, specimen; Sosua). — Bond, Proc. Acad.Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 

 80, 1928, p. 512 (Gonave, Tortue, Caracol).— Moltoni, Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. 

 Nat, vol. 68, 1929, p. 323 (San Juan, specimens). 



Winter visitant from North America; common. 



Though inconspicuously marked the palm warbler is easily dis- 

 tinguished from the host of other migrant warblers (many of which 

 are superficially similar in color) by its habit of constantly twitching 

 the tail up and down whether in the trees or bushes or walking on 

 the ground, a steady, wagging motion found among its relatives 

 only in the water-thrushes, which are quite differently colored. 



Gmelin's characterization of the palm warbler is taken from 

 Buffon 7 s account of the bimbele or fausse linotte. Since Buffon's 

 statement is made on the basis of a painting of the bird and a de- 

 scription of its habits supplied by Deshayes the type locality may 

 be certainly restricted to the Republic of Haiti. 



For the Dominican Republic the earliest report of this species is 

 that of Salle who makes no statement regarding it except to include 

 it in his list. Cherrie reported it in 1895 as fairly common from 

 February 12 to April 1. Christy obtained one near Sanchez, January 

 28, 1895. Verrill found it abundant, nine specimens of his collecting, 

 now in possession of J. H. Fleming, bearing the following data: 

 Cafia Honda January 4 and 12; El Valle, January 17; Sanchez, 

 January 23 ; Rio San Juan, February 1 ; Samana, February 4, 12, 

 and 19 ; and La Vega, March 16, 1907. Peters says that in 1916 he 

 noted a few at nearly every locality visited prior to March 15, but 

 saw few after that date, though he records one at Sosiia April 10. 

 He collected one at Bulla. Abbott secured one at Jarabacoa October 

 14, 1916, and one at Constanza April 7, 1919. Beck took specimens 

 at Santo Domingo City October 5, 10 and 12, at Sanchez November 

 22, and at La Vega November 28 and 30, 1916. Ciferri obtained 

 skins at Sabana San Thome near San Juan May 12, and October 19 

 and 21, 1928. 



Buffon writes in 1778 that he received a picture and a record of 

 observations on the habits of the palm warbler from Chevalier 

 Lefebure Deshayes, a naturalist resident in the old French colony 

 that now is Haiti, the earliest record for the bird in the limits of 

 Haiti, unless the Passer maculosus of Feuillee shot near Les Cayes 

 in March, 1705, should be, as appears probable from the description, 

 the present species. Vieillot in 1807 believed that the palm warbler 

 was resident in Haiti, an error, shared by Deshayes, as the species 

 nests only in North America. Both Vieillot and Deshayes state that 



