THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 401 



Migrant from North America ; common. 



The redstart frequents shrubbery, groves and forests, where it is 

 a most active flycatcher, pursuing its living prey with dash and vigor 

 among the branches with much display of its brilliantly marked, 

 fan-shaped tail. It ranges from coastal thickets to the summits of 

 the mountains, being so general in distribution that there is little 

 object in detailing all of the numerous records. Peters reports that 

 he saw comparatively few redstarts along the north coast during 

 March and April, 1916, though Verrill in 1907 found them abundant 

 in the region of Samana Bay, collecting numerous specimens during 

 January and February, which are now in the collection of J. H. 

 Fleming. The earliest report of the species in fall is that of a female 

 taken near Constanza, D. K., September 22, 1916, by TV. L. Abbott. 

 Beck collected specimens at Santo Domingo City September 27 and 

 October 12, 18, and 24, and at Sanchez November 11 and 23, 1916. 

 Wetmore observed the last one in the spring of 1927, near San Juan, 

 D. R., May 1. Ciferri sent specimens to Moltoni from Sabana San 

 Thome near San Juan October 23 and 25, and November 29, 1928. 



A. E. Younglove collected two near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, May 9, 

 and May 10, 1866. James Bond, who found these birds abundant 

 in Haiti, reported the last from Gonave Island, May 20, 1928. Poole 

 and Perrygo in 1929 secured skins at St. Michel January 14, St. 

 Raphael January 11, Dondon January 19, Fort Liberte February 16 

 and Cerca-la-Source March 24 and 26. On Gonave Island they took 

 others at En Cafe March 4 and 6 and Massacrin March 10. Ekman 

 found this species on Navassa Island in October, 1928. 



The redstart is a small warbler with broad, flat bill. The adult 

 male is jet black on the upper surface, throat and breast, with spots 

 of pale orange or salmon-pink in the center of each wing, on either 

 side of the breast, and across the center of the tail. The abdomen is 

 white. In the female and young male the black of the back of the 

 adult male is replaced by brownish gray, the breast is whitish, and 

 the orange patches become dull yellow. 



Family PLOCEIDAE 

 Subfamily Ploceinae 



TEXTOR CUCULLATUS CUCULLATUS (Swainson) 

 BLACK AND YELLOW MANTLED WEAVERBIRD, MADAME SARAH 



Oriolus cucullatus P. L. S. Muller, Vollst. Natursyst. Suppl., 1776, p. 87 

 (Senegal). 



Eyphantornis cucullatus, Richmond, Smithsonian Misc. Colls., vol. 72, no. 6, 

 1921, p. 47, fig. 59 (collected in Haiti by Abbott) .— Danfoeth, Auk, 1929, p. 

 373 (recorded). 



