﻿320 Mr. E. Hartert on the Birds of 



Curasao and Bonaire, but I did not see it on Aruba. It is 

 not common, and is mostly found in dry and stony places 

 with scanty vegetation. 



17. Crotophaga sulcirostris, Sw. 

 Not previously recorded from Curasao. 



I met with several of these birds near Savonet, and pro- 

 cured a few specimens. Its occurrence so far eastwards is 

 very remarkable. I believe that it is resident on Curasao. 

 The stomach contained grasshoppers. Iris deep brown. 

 Bill and feet black, 



18. Conurus pertinax (Linn.) ; Salvad. Cat. B. B. M. 

 xx. p. 197; Berl. J. f. O. 1892, p. 88; Peters, J. f. O. 1892, 

 p. 112. 



Berlepsch (/. c.) gives his opinion that, on account of the 

 peculiar fact that Conurus pertinax occurs on the two islands of 

 Curagao and St. Thomas, and apparently nowhere else, it is 

 quite possible that its original home is Curacao, where it 

 seems to be more common than on St. Thomas. There are, 

 however, other birds that occur on both these islands, so 

 that I hesitate at present to accept this introduction-theory. 

 On St. Thomas this lovely Parrakeet is restricted to the hills 

 on the eastern side of the harbour (cf. A. & E. Newton, Ibis, 

 1859, p. 374), and at the present time it is said to be so rare 

 that they are no longer caught for sale, while formerly they 

 were brought to the steamers by the negroes. On Curasao 

 it is very numerous in the western parts of the island, but 

 not so common, although by no means rare, in the eastern. 

 The nests are mostly built in the large ants' -nests placed 

 in trees, into which they dig holes. 



The negroes take the young ones from the nests and keep 

 them in cages. Large numbers are sold to the sailors. 



The plumage of the adult bird is well described by Salva- 

 dori, but the descriptions of Finsch and many others are 

 confusing, as they do not distinguish between C. ceruginosus 

 and C. pertinax. In the young of C pertinax little of the 

 beautiful orange-colour on the cheeks, which are brownish, 

 is to be seen ; the forehead is tinged with greenish and 

 L32] 



