THE BIEDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN KEPUBLIC 443 



The crossbill is from 150 to 160 mm. long and is distinguished 

 from all other birds of the island by the twisted bill with the tips 

 of the mandibles passing one another, to facilitate the extraction of 

 seeds from hard, stiff pine cones. The bill tip crosses indifferently 

 to the right or to the left in different individuals. The adult male 

 is generally dusky, washed to a greater or less extent on the fore- 

 parts of the body with yellowish and deep red, the amounts of these 

 colors showing much variation. Females are dusky with a wash of 

 yellowish on the chest, and the immature are obscurely streaked on 

 the breast. All have two prominent bars of Avhite across the wing 

 coverts. 



AMMODRAMUS SAVANNARUM INTRICATUS Hartcrt 

 DOMINICAN GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 



Ammodramus savannarum intricatus Hartert, Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club, 

 vol. 19, April 29, 1907, p. 73 (El Valle, Dominican Republic). — Verrill, Proc. 

 Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 61, 1909, pp. 362-363 (El Valle).— Peters, Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, p. 426 (Arroyo Savana, specimens). — Bond, 

 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 519 (Northern and Central 

 Plains). — Danforth, Auk, 1929, p. 375 (Hato Mayor). — Lonnberg, Fauna och 

 Flora, 1929, p. 110 (Haiti).— Moltoni, Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. Nat., vol 68, 1929, 

 p. 326 (San Juan, specimens). 



Ammodromus savannarum, Tristram, Cat. Coll. Birds Belonging H. B. Tris- 

 tram, 1889, p. 233 (Rivas, specimen). 



.Resident; found locally in lowland savannas. 



The first report of the grasshopper sparrow for the island is that 

 of Tristram who received a specimen taken in 1887 by A. S. Toogood, 

 at Almercen, known now as Villa Rivas, Dominican Republic, though 

 this is antedated by a skin in the Academy of Natural Sciences taken 

 by W. L. Abbott at Sabana la Mar, June 25, 1883. Verrill found the 

 birds common in the grassy savannas near El Valle in 1907, and col- 

 lected two pairs which were secured by the Tring Museum and from 

 which Hartert discovered that a distinct race was to be distinguished. 

 Verrill records the song as an insectlike trill like that of the grass- 

 hopper sparrow of the United States. Peters obtained nine speci- 

 mens at Arroyo Savana twenty-five miles southwest of Cabrera on 

 the north coast, reporting that from March 8 to 10, 1916 the birds 

 were singing and that the breeding season was near. 



Abbott found the grasshopper sparrow common at Rivas January 

 11 to 16, 1921, collecting a series of eight individuals. At Pimentel 

 he shot two males on January 22, and at Cotui February 1, 2, and 5 

 secured three more, a young bird in juvenal dress being taken on 

 February 1. Danforth found these birds common near Hato Mayor 

 July 4 to 7, 1927, and observed two others between Belladere and 

 La Cahobes July 12. Ciferri collected them near San Juan May 8 



