1S92.I Recent Literature. 27 7 



cultivated fields in enormous flocks. Their flight is much like that of 

 otiier representatives of the family and not, so far as I could judge, 

 appreciably faster. The ditticulty in procuring speciniens arises from 

 their habitually very high flight. I was unable to learn anything with 

 regard to the time or place of their breeding. 



143. Mellisuga minima {Linn.). Vkkvain Hummingbird. — Common 

 resident at all points visited on the island, particularly in the vicinity of 

 Kingston. It was noticed daily at Stony Hill, and often seen at Boston, 

 though not so commonly as at other points. This seems to be more a 

 species of the open country than either of the others found on the island, 

 and also more fond of low-growing flowering plants. In habits it is much 

 like our Trochilus colubris. Gosse has given a very detailed account of 

 its breeding habits (Birds of Jamaica, pp. 130-134). 



145. Aithurus polytmus {Linn.'). Long-tailed Hummingbird; Doctor- 

 bird. — The commonest Hummingbird of the island; very abundant and 

 generally distributed, though perhaps preferring the region 1000 feet in 

 altitude above the sea. 



This is one of the species so carefully and fully studied and written of 

 by the late Philip Henry Gosse, that the reader is referred directly to that 

 author (Birds of Jamaica, pp. 97-127). 



In the series collected I have specimens of male birds whose two long 

 outside tail feathers are 7.90 inches in length. 



146. Lampornis mango (/,/««.). Mango Hummingbird ; Doctor-bird. 

 — Not so common as either of the other two. At Stony Hill where these 

 birds were commoner than at any other points visited, they seemed par- 

 ticularly to like the flowers of the banana. At Boston, Priestman's 

 River, and Port Antonio I saw this bird on only a few occasions. At Boston 

 during two months but two birds were obtained. I was unable to learn 

 anything of its breeding habits. 



{To be continued.) 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Salvadori's Catalogue of the Parrots.* — While doubtless Professor Sal- 

 vadori has had before him for examination the largest collection of Parrots 

 existing in any museum, he considers this material inadequate "for afford- 

 ing a solid base to a general classification of Parrots, or fully illustrating 

 the diff"erent stages of many of the species," the deficiencies lelating more 



* Catalogue | of the | Psittaci, or Parrots, | in the | Collection | of the | British 

 .Museum. | By | T. Salvadori. | London : | Printed by order of the Trustees. | . . . . 

 [=6 lines, names of booksellers] | 1891. — 8vo, pp. xvii, 658, and pll. 18. — Forming Vol. 

 XX of the Catalogue of the Birds of the British Museum. 



