^°'iq^^^] BowDisH, B/rds 0/ Por/0 R/co. 357 



Therefore it will be understood wh)' the breeding habits of the 

 birds, that most interesting and instructive feature of a bird's life, 

 are here so scantily treated. 



In this connection I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebted- 

 ness to Dr. Charles W. Richmond, of the U. S. National Museum, 

 for furnishing me with a ' hypothetical list ' of the birds likely to 

 occur in Porto Rico, which was of much assistance to me in my 

 field work, and also for his kindness in revising the manuscript of 

 this list. I am also indebted to Mr. Frank M. Chapman, whose 

 kind assistance in identifying some of the doubtful specimens in 

 my collection has greatly aided me in the preparation of this paper. 



In order to make the present paper a complete list of all the 

 birds known to occur in Porto Rico I add at the end a supple- 

 mental list of species thus far recorded from the island that were 

 not observed by me. This list is based mainly on Dr. Richmond's 

 above-mentioned ' hypothetical list.' 



• I. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed GIiebe. — I purchased a female 

 from a native at Aguadilla, June 3, 1900. It is s*lightlj smaller than north- 

 ern birds. The ovaries were somewhat developed. Stomach contained 

 the remains of three crawfish and a small quantity of mammal hair ; 

 apparently the bird had ted on a drowned and partially decomposed rat. 

 Perhaps not uncommon in suitable localities. 



•2. Larus atricilla. Laughing Gull. — Abundant around the coasts and 

 on the outlying islands. At San Juan the natives often had them alive, 

 with a wing clipped, and sold them for food. A friend purchased and 

 gave me a female which I kept alive from April 28 to May 3, 1900, when 

 I was obliged to dispose of it. It was not very wild, although objecting 

 to being handled, and ate and drank freely. I fed it both raw and cooked 

 beef. When I visited Decicheo Island on June 24, 1900, and again July 6 

 to 10, 1901, I found about eight or ten pairs, but got no data as to their 

 breeding. At the time of the latter trip I noticed a pair feeding on the 

 floating body of a Booby. I had skinned and thrown into the water. 

 . 3. Sterna antillarum. Least Tern. — Noted one pair near Cabo Rono 

 lighthouse, Aug. 22, 1901. 



4. Sterna fuliginosa. Sooty Tern. — Common at Mona Island on the 

 occasion of my visit there, Aug. 5 to 21, 1901. An immature female which 

 flew against the light during a cloudy night, Aug. 13, was injured and 

 captured. At times large numbers of birds are said to fly against the light. 



• s;. Sterna anaethetus. Bridled Tern. — Common on the islands of 

 Mona and Decicheo, where they breed in large numbei's ; also frequently 

 seen on the coast of the main island. On June 24, 1900, they were appar- 



