BLUE QUIT. 239 



on a leaf. At first it has the consistence of thin 

 cream, but half an hour's exposure thickens it, and 

 gives it tenacity enough to be drawn' into threads ; 

 when they consider it *'ripe." A twig smeared 

 with this *' gum," is stuck into the half-eaten sour- 

 sop or custard-apple, presenting a very inviting 

 perch to the hungry birds. One soon hops on the 

 fatal twig, and is in an instant fluttering helplessly, 

 fast at the feet. Banana birds. Mocking birds, and 

 Cashew birds are also taken in this way. The 

 appearance of the intestinal viscera at such a season, 

 is very singular, being distended with the white pulp 

 throughout their length, perfectly visible from the 

 transparency of the intestines. At first the stomach 

 seems to be wanting, and this much surprised me ; 

 but the fact is, that organ is simply a thin mem- 

 branous sac, or rather canal, differing in no apparent 

 respect from the intestine, save in slightly increased 

 capacity. 



The musical powers of our little Blue Quit are 

 considerable : it is a sweet and constant song-bird. 

 It has various notes ; frequently it chirps perti- 

 naciously, like the Humming birds; at other times 

 it utters a long "twee," like the Chicken-Hawk; 

 sometimes it delights in a soft warbling repetition 

 of a single note; sometimes its voice is closely 

 like the plaintive mewing of a kitten. But besides 

 these it has a real song, sweet and musical. In 

 March at Spanish Town, I heard two, apparently 

 both males, warbling close together on a genip-tree 

 opposite my window, very sweetly but hurriedly. 

 When one flew to another twig the other presently 



