330 Dr. C. Chrhty—Field-Notes 



ordinary. Perched on a dead branch at the top of a big tree 

 in the forest, turning his head from side to side, he sings, for 

 5 or 10 minutes at a stretch, aloud, high-pitched, discordant, 

 disconnected little song, which can be heard a hundred yards 

 or so away. This species was mucli more common among 

 the larger forest growth, and I seldom observed it in 

 the garden, like Sporadinus elegans. Although about the 

 smallest of all the Humming-birds, it makes the most 

 incredible humming noise with its wings when flying, or at 

 least when hovering. Often one hears the humming over- 

 head in the forest, much louder than any bee, but it is not so 

 easy to catch a glimpse of the bird ; in fact, its movements 

 are often too quick for the eye to follow. 



f- 29. Temnotrogon koseigaster. 



(Cory, op. cit. p. 95.) 



A bird peculiar to the island, and, although rare and 

 local, well known to the natives at La Vega, not on account 

 of its magnificently gaudy plumage, which they say has 

 seven colours, but owing to some superstition connected 

 with it. At the same timen one of them agreed as to the 

 details of that superstition. 



They say it is to be found only on the mountains above 

 Harabajoa, some 20 miles or so south-west of La Vega. I 

 was not fortunate enough to obtain a specimen. The 

 Governor of La Vega kindly sent some men to shoot me one, 

 but owing to a bad attack of fever I had to leave before they 

 returned, and I heard afterwards that they came back empty- 

 handed. 



The natives round La Vega knew nothing specially of the 

 note of this bird, nor did they seem to know anything of the 

 " Musician ^^ {Myiadectes montanus) mentioned by Mr. Cory 

 as inhabiting the tops of the mountains, possessing a magni- 

 ficent song, and as being looked upon by the natives with 

 dread owing to the superstition that he who saw one would 

 shortly die. 



This was the only bird I heard of in San Domingo to 

 which any superstition w^as attached. 



