122 G. M. Ali.en, Summer Birds iu the Bahamas. [a"^ 



seemed to be young of the year, and we found no signs that any birds 

 were still breeding. On New Providence the expressive name "Poor 

 Joe " is applied to this bird though elsewhere that term was reserved for 

 the Louisiana Heron. 



22. Nyctanassa violacea (Linn.). Yellow-crowned Night Heron; 

 "Gaulin." — Although of general distribution among the northern 

 Bahamas, we did not find this a common species. They breed early, and 

 apparently were done nesting at the time of our visit. 



23. Rallus coryi Maynard. Cory's Rail; " Marsh Hen." — A single 

 specimen in very worn plumage was taken on the Marls of Great Abaco, 

 July 6. We came upon the bird as we were making our way through a 

 growth of small mangroves, where it stood tamely, watching our move- 

 ments. 



24. Actodromas minutilla (Vieill.). Least Sandpiper. — A single 

 female bird, doubtless one of the advance guard of the fall migrants, was 

 taken at Great Bahama, on July 18. 



25. Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.). Greater Yellow-legs. — On 

 the Great Abaco Marls we came upon one of these birds feeding about the 

 edge of a small pool among the mangroves. The date, July 6, seems so 

 early as to render it unlikely that the bird was a newly arrived migrant 

 from the north. 



26. Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.). Willet ; "Pilly-willick." — 

 Among the salt water marshes grown up to small mangroves and other 

 bushes, and particularly among the Marls of Great Abaco, Willets were 

 everywhere common. More often we saw them in pairs and their actions 

 betokened that they were still breeding. One of our guides at Great 

 Abaco said he found a nest containing four eggs on the Marls, July 6. 

 We also obtained a fully grown bird of the year on July iS at Great 

 Bahama. Their habit of perching on the low bushes was frequently 

 noted, and at such times they often uttered a sharp and plaintive cry of a 

 single note. When startled, they fly about in an aimless sort of way up 

 and down the marshes, now approaching, now swinging away from the 

 observer, all the while uttering their loud " pill-will-willet." After com- 

 paring our series of skins with birds from the northern parts of America, 

 we are unable to discover any constant or tangible differences. 



27. Ochthodromus wilsonius (Ord). Wilson's Plover; "Snipe." — 

 This was the only plover observed among the northern islands, and 

 almost every sandy beach or mudflat had a pair or two of them. In many 

 cases young birds but a few days from the egg were noticed running 

 about at the water's edge or seeking shelter among the rocks and grass 

 while the parent bird with loud cries endeavored to lead us away by feign- 

 ing a broken wing or a crippled leg. 



28. Colinus bahamensis Maynard. New Providence Bob-white. — 

 A few were heard calling in the open pine barrens back of Nassau on 

 July 26. 



29. Columba leucocephala Linn. White-crowned Pigeon ; " Pi- 



