2*7 A. Scott o>i the. Birds of Jamaica. fjn'y 



during mj stay on the island, all in the vicinity of Boston. They are 

 retiring in their haljits, but quite tame, keeping to the deep woods and 

 being much oftencr heard than seen. Gosse. in his 'Birds of Jamaica,' 

 pages 273-276, has given so full and detailed an account of this species 

 that there seems little to add. He found it so common, while it is now 

 apparently rather rare, that I conclude that this is one of the species that 

 have suiTcred from the depredations of the mongoose. 



126. Coccyzus minor {Gmel.). Mangrove Cuckoo; Black-eakeu 

 Cuckoo; Young Old-man-bird. — Observed at Stony Hill on two oc- 

 casions in December. A common and very generally distributed species 

 in the vicinity of Priestman's River and Port Antonio, and probably at 

 the lower altitudes throughout the island. Its habits, as I observed the 

 birds in the neighborhood of Boston, where they were numerous, were 

 similar to those of Coccyzus americamis. 



127. Coccyzus americanus {/.inn.). Yellow-hilled Cuckoo; May 

 Bird. — Not observed during my stay on the island. But it was well 

 known to the late Philip Henry Gosse, as a summer visitor, and in all 

 probability it will be found to breed not uncommonly. 



128. Hyetornis pluvialis (G'wic/.). Old-man-bird ; Rain-bird. — Com- 

 mon resident, but met with only in unfrequented places. A series often 

 individuals, collected in the vicinity of Priestman's River, does not show any 

 considerable variation in color, though the females average a little more 

 intense in color than the males, but there seems quite a marked diflerence 

 in size between the sexes, the female being much the larger. The breed- 

 ing season must vary considerably with different pairs of birds. A female 

 taken on January 17, would have laid in four or five weeks, judging from 

 the ovary. Another female, taken on the 22d of January, showed no 

 indications of the approach of the breeding season. A pair taken on 

 January 30 (Nos. 10,782 and 10,873, t:oll. W. E. D. S.), indicated on dissec- 

 tion that breeding would have begun in four weeks. A female taken 

 February 3 showed no signs of breeding. On F'ebruary 14 two males 

 were procured, one of which appeared about to breed and the othei^ 

 showed no signs of the approach of the breeding season. A female 

 taken on February 27 (No. 11,295, coll. W. E. D. S.) had laid a full set of 

 eggs, and incubation was well advanced. 



So far as I am aware, these birds are of solitary and retiring habits, 

 frequenting the depths of the forests and rarely if ever appearing near 

 habitations, or open or cultivated lands. 



129. Ceryle alcyon {/^iiin.). Belted Kingfisher.— A common winter 

 resident, seen daily in suitable localities from December to March. 



130. Todus viridis /</««. Green Tody; 'Robin Redbreast.'— These 

 pretty and singular birds I found not uncommon at Stony Hill, at an 

 altitude of 1200 to 1500 feet above the sea level. But at Boston and Priest- 

 man's River they were rare, becoming more common, however, as we 

 reached an elevation exceeding Soo feet, in the mountains and foothills 

 back of these localities. Their liabits are not unlike those of our smaller 

 Flj'catchers of the genus Rmpidonnx, but now and then they hunt insects 



