Vol igo 5 Xn ] General Notes. 213 



The occurrence of " D. petechia " in Grenada was apparently based on 

 this specimen, if one can judge from the dimensions given on the label 

 of the bird and their correlation with those in the text ; the locality given 

 in the article and that on the label (Telescope is on the windward side of 

 the island) ; the fact that the bird was originally labelled " D. petechia " ; 

 and the fact that in writing up the species Mr. Wells gave it the local 

 name of " Yellow Bird," which name is also on the label in his hand- 

 writing. 



This one specimen, therefore, represents two records ; Lawrence records 

 " D. petechia " from Grenada, and Mr. Ridgvvay D. mstiva on the evi- 

 dence of it alone. 



Now Dendroica ruficapilla occurs as a resident in the swamps of 

 Grenada, Carriacou, Union Island, and Prune Island (Grenadines), and is 

 probably the bird referred to by Lawrence and Wells as " D. petechia" 



With the assistance of Mr. Outram Bangs I tried to determine whether 

 this bird was an example of D- ruficapilla or of D. cestiva. It is an 

 immature male, with the coloration of the female. In size it is identical 

 with specimens of D. cb. cestiva in Mr. Bangs's collection, and also with 

 specimens of D. ruficapilla obtained by myself on Prune Island and on 

 Carriacou. The pileum is of the same color as the back as in the adult 

 females of D. &stiva\ but one example of D. ruficapilla which I 

 obtained in Carriacou (an immature male) also shows this character, and 

 I have seen it in birds of that species from Dominica. There is, there- 

 fore, absolutely no way of distinguishing between the young of these two 

 species, either by coloration or size. 



From the following circumstantial evidence, however, it seems clear to 

 me that the bird in question is an example of D. ruficapilla and not of 

 D. cestiva. 



Although it appears not to have been previously known, D. ruficapilla 

 occurs, as a rather rare resident, in the swamps on Grenada, especially on 

 the windward side. Telescope (near Grenville) is one of the localities in 

 which it is found. Unless one is familiar with the retiring and shy 

 character of this bird, it is very easily overlooked, which probably 

 accounts for the fact that no collectors ever previously obtained it on 

 Grenada or the Grenadines. It is far more often heard than seen. The 

 greatest number which I ever obtained in a single day was two, the result 

 of wading about knee deep in mud and water in the midst of a mosquito 

 infested mangrove swamp from sunrise to sunset. Mr. Wells, who 

 recently died, at the age of fifty-eight years, lived all his life in Grenada, 

 except for eleven years spent in Carriacou. lie never took but a single 

 Yellow Warbler in his life, and does not record the species from Carria- 

 cou, although ray specimens all came from a swamp within gunshot of 

 his residence. 



I believe, therefore, that we had best exclude D. astiva from the avifauna 

 of the West Indies for the present, until a bird referable to that species 

 is taken on St. Vincent, or on some island which has no resident vellow 



