32.2 Dr. C. Chvisty—Fleld-No!es 



tlie trunks of the bauana-trees/' The few times I observed 

 the bird it was peeping into flowers ; but this^ of course, 

 would not prove that the bird was feeding on syrup only, for 

 we know that the Humming-birds feed mainly on insects, 

 although they seem to be sucking honey from the flowers all 

 tlie time. 



This species certainly has the head and beak and actions 

 of a Creeper, but it should be noted that it has neither the 

 stiff" tail nor the feet of that genus. 



-f9. HiRUNDO SCLATERI. 



(Cory, op. cit. p. 45.) 



Swallows were common at La Vega, and I believe they 

 all belonged to this species, but I failed to preserve a specimen. 

 1 observed none elsewhere than at La Vega. 



-f 10. DuLUS DOMiNicus. Locally " Palm-Sparrow.^'' 



(Cory, op. cit. p. 51.) 



A very common bird, peculiar to the island, breeding in 

 colonies in nearly every giove of royal palms. 



The nests are sometimes very large, quite an armful of 

 twigs, interwoven into a compact mass in the head of the 

 palm or on the cluster of berries just below the head. In 

 this ball of sticks there are generally three or four nests, 

 merely burrows into the side of the mass, the end lined with 

 finer twigs ; but what the eggs were like I did not discover. 

 This bird is peculiar in its habits in many ways. It possesses 

 most powerful legs, feet, and bill, and the size of the sticks 

 which I have seen it break off" and carry up to the palm-trees 

 has often astonished me. One soon knows when one is in 

 the vicinity of a colony, for the birds are noisy, with a very 

 aggressive way about them, and at intervals they set up a 

 most tremendous racket, every bird in the colony suddenly, 

 as if at a given signal, making as much noise as possible. 

 This lasts for about ten seconds or so, and then stops as 

 suddenly as it began. I rather think that this may go on all 

 day, whether anyone is in their neighbourhood or not, but 

 I never could make sure. A female shot May 2 at La Vega 

 measured — length 7| inches, stretch 10^. 



