128 Scott o>i the Hirds of j^amatra. [April 



large fields far awav from an^v trees as was the case with the Barn Owl. 

 Specimens were taken on Janniu y 14 and 16, Females taken on the 

 latter date were about to lay- A pair taken on February 17 would have 

 bred in about a month. A female parent and young bird just able to fly 

 were taken February 23. The young bird is perhaps two months old. I 

 think that the breeding season varies with diff"erent individuals from 

 December to the last part of April. Both this species and the Barn Owl 

 are of the greatest benefit to the agriculturists and they should be most 

 carefully protected. Rats and mice form a large part of the food that 

 thev consume, and they must be of especial benefit on the 'pens' and 

 sugar estates. The iris of this species is hazel or dark brown, looking 

 much like that of Syrninm nebulosum. 



120. Amazona agilis {Liun.). Black-billed Parrot. — Common 

 resident in the parish of Portland. Especially conspicuous on the wild 

 orange trees during my stay. They are quite nomadic in their habits, 

 going about in parties of from six to thirty and even more individuals. In 

 a fine series of this species obtained during iny stay there are individuals 

 without the scarlet coverts to the primaries. Others have some of these 

 feathers green and some scarlet on the same wing; others lack the scarlet 

 feathers altogether on one wing, but have them all scarlet on the other, 

 and in many individuals the coverts are all scarlet on both sides. The 

 black edging to the feathers of the throat, neck, and head varies greatly 

 in different individuals, in intensity and extent, and in absolute width. 



Mr. Taylor has had no opportunity, he tells me, to study this bird in 

 life, and so can add nothing to the foregoing. 



Gosse says that both the Yellow-billed and the Black-billed Parrots 

 breed in holes in trees, but he does not state the time of year, and though 

 this is probably in June, I have been unable to ascertain with exactness. 



121. Amazona collaria {Linn.). Yellow-billed Parrot. — What I 

 have already said of the occurrence of the Black-billed Parrot in the par- 

 ish of Portland applies equally well to this species. Just in the vicinity 

 of Boston the Yellow-bills were much the more common, however. The 

 individual variation in these birds is almost entirely confined to a greater 

 or less intensity of color in different specimens, which seems to be cor- 

 related with age, but not with sex or season. During my stay at Boston 

 a few hours' walk would always enable one to see flocks of these birds and 

 often a few moments would be sufficient to walk to where a flock fed on 

 the wild orange and other wild fruits and seeds. 



Mr. Taylor's notes are subjoitied : "Gosse regards this species as less 

 abundaiit than the 'Black-bill.' My own limited experience and the in- 

 formation I have gathered from others does not support that view. At a 

 property near the summit of Mount Diablo, where I stayed for a few 

 days, large flocks of 'Yellow-bills' were seen feeding at the pimento trees. 

 They were always very wary and difficult of approach." 



122. Conurus nanus {Viff.). Yellovv-bellied Paroquet. — I did not 

 meet with this species while in Jamaica, where its distribution appears to 

 be quite local, though where it does occur the bird is said to be com- 



