208 Brewster a7id Chapman on Trinidad Birds. Imv 



pursuit of the other, squeaking loudly and uttering an explosive 

 tock, tock. This sound can be closely imitated by pressing the 

 tongue against the roof of the mouth and withdrawing it forcibly. 

 Generally the perching bird returned within a minute and resumed 

 its interrupted song. 



It therefore appears that Pygmoniis longnemareus and Phaethor- 

 nis guyi — and probably also other species of these genera — have 

 regular resorts which they visit for the purpose of singing and 

 that they evidently sing at no other time. The significance of 

 this habit — unique so far as we know — we cannot satisfactorily 

 explain. All the specimens killed at these singing haunts were 

 males. Whether the females are present we cannot say. 



There are few natives of Trinidad who do not know, by name 

 at least, the animal locally termed ' Poor-me-one.' This name is 

 given to a small Ant-eater {Cydothurus didadylus) which is popu- 

 larly supposed to utter the notes serving as the origin of the 

 words. Mr. Carr, however, as quoted by Mr. Chapman^ defi- 

 nitely proved that Poor-me-one was a species of Goatsucker by 

 shooting the bird in the act of calling, but failing to preserve the 

 specimen, its specific identity could not be determined. 



Only a person who has heard Poor-me-one calling from the 

 moonlit forest can understand how ardently one longs to identify 

 the caller. Our curiosity was frequently aroused by the hooting 

 of some to us unknown species of Owl, or even the cry of some 

 night-bird whose identity was an entire mystery, but the cry of 

 Poor-me-one is possessed of a human quality which appeals to 

 one as strongly as the voice of a fellow-being. Its tone is so 

 sweet and tender, so expressive of hopeless sorrow, that even the 

 negroes are impressed by it, as its native name, Poor-me-one, 

 meaning " Poor me all alone," clearly shows. To identify Poor- 

 me-o'ne, therefore, became one of our chief objects. 



This strange bird calls only on moonlit nights from February 

 to June. The calendar told us the moon would be full March 20, 

 and as the slender crescent grew larger we listened anxiously for 

 the notes of Nyctibius. But we neither saw nor heard sign of it 

 until the evening of the i6th when, as we were strolling home- 



' Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., VI, 1S94, p. 59. 



