THE AUK: 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



VOL. XIX. 



October, 1902. 



No. 4 



THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF CARRIACOU. 



BY JOHN GRANT WELLS. 



Part II. Land Birds. 



{Coftcluded from p. 247.) 



47. Columba corensis Gmcl. Ramier. — This beautiful pigeon is our 

 linest game bird, and is much sought after bj sportsmen. They are 

 numerous, and breed in numbers on the small islets ; a few nest at 

 Chapeau Carre and that vicinity. They are capable of being tamed if 

 taken from the nest when fledged and fed by the hand until they are able 

 to pick up food for themselves, when they can be kept like ordinary pig- 

 eons. A remarkable feature is that in the wild state the Ramier is 

 exclusively a frugivorous bird, but the tame ones, raised on Indian corn, 

 will not take fruit, though freshly picked and given to them. In Grenada 

 the Ramier is principally confined to the ' high woods,' but in Carriacou 

 they are found all over the island, from the grape trees on the beach to 

 High North. Several spots are favorite resorts of these birds where 

 good shooting can be obtained, notably Dumfries Gully, Belair Ridge, 

 and Qiiarry Road. I have shot many on an ' acoumar ' tree in Belair 

 village surrounded by dwelling houses, and at Hermitage they can be 

 shot from the door step as they fly to and fro, at certain seasons, to their 

 feeding grounds. The nest is generally placed on the outspreading 

 branches of the seaside grape tree or on a mangrove tree. It is com- 

 posed of a few dry sticks, hollowed in the middle by the weight of the 

 bird ; the eggs are two, pure white, and of the size of those of the domes- 

 tic pigeon. 



48. Zenaida martinicana Bonap. Zenaida castanea (Wagl.). TouR- 

 TERELLE ; SEASIDE DovE ; WiLD PiGEON. — This dovc is quite numerous 



