I 28 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. fApr 1 



branch. They were rather lethargic in their motions and maintained an 

 absolute silence. We did not meet with this bird elsewhere. 



45. Agelaius phceniceus bryanti Ridgw. Bahama Redwing; "Rice- 

 bird." — This is a common and characteristic bird of the larger islands 

 wherever there are marshes and in the bushy growth along the shores of 

 these islands and the cays. It is one of the few birds found among the 

 mangrove swamps. They were very tame at all times and the males 

 would sing fearlessly but a few feet from the observer. The breeding 

 season seemed to be practically over by the first week of July, and we fre- 

 quently found small family flocks consisting of the pair of old birds with 

 their fully grown young. The song differs from -that of our northern bird 

 not only in its thin and scraping quality, but also in the addition of a 

 note at the end of the bar, thus: kon-ki-reee-ah with a slight rising 

 inflection. 



46. Icterus northropi Allen. Northrop's Oriole; " Cocoanut 

 Bird." — At Andros, Mr. Bryant obtained a single immature specimen 

 near Mangrove Cay, in early August. We were also told by Mr. Meeres, 

 of the Sisal Fiber Co., that he had taken a specimen of this rare oriole on 

 Little Abaco early in July, 1904. 



47. Pyrrhulagra violacea (Linn.). Purple Grosbeak. — We saw a 

 few scattered flocks of this species on New Providence and Great Abaco, 

 but did not meet with it elsewhere although it is known from the other 

 larger islands. It appears to be quite absent from the cays. 



48. Tiaris bicolor (Linn.). Bahama GRAssquiT; "Parakeet." — 

 Everywhere among the islands this was an abundant species. Most of 

 the old birds taken were in very worn breeding plumage and the nesting 

 period seemed to be passed. Nevertheless male birds were in full song 

 throughout July. Many of the birds seemed to be settled in certain 

 localities where they were almost always to be found. They feed largely 

 on the ground or among the low bushes, but at intervals a male will fly up 

 to the top of a bush or sisal stalk and burst into song after which he pres- 

 ently returns to the ground again. At Nassau a male that frequented the 

 hotel gardens usually flew to a telegraph wire stretched across at some 

 twenty feet above the ground, when he wished to sing, but usually a more 

 humble perch is chosen. We frequently saw small family parties of adult 

 birds and fully grown young by the roadside, in thickets and open fields, 

 or even about the houses. They were common in nearly all situations on 

 the larger islands and were certain to be met with on all the outer cays in 

 the less dense bushy growth. At Little Abaco, while visiting Mr. A. 

 H. Nield of the Sisal Fiber Co., we were interested to observe the fear- 

 lessness of these little finches. They flew in at the open windows, and 

 regularly visited the dining room at meal times for crumbs, or perched at 

 arm's length from us on the piazza railing to sing. 



49. Spindalis zena (Linn.). Black-backed Spindalis ; "Banana 

 Bird"; "Cock Robin." — At New Providence this was a common 

 species, frequenting the edges of woods near cleared ground. Several 



