33G Dr. C. Chrhij— Field- Notes 



41. Geotrygon, sp. inc. 



Abundant in the forest on the hills at Sanchez. Generally 

 to be met with by twos or threes feeding on the ground ; but 

 difficult to shootj as one catches only a momentary glimpse 

 of the birds as they fly silently and quickly through the 

 undergrowth. I never saw them fly up into trees. I was 

 shown several old nests placed on stumps of trees or matted 

 creepers near the ground. 



Although I shot several of these Pigeons, I omitted 

 to preserve a specimen, owing to want of time; hence I 

 am uncertain whether they were Geotrygon montana or 

 G. martinica. 



42. CoLUMBA iNORNATA. Locally " Paloma.^' 

 (Cory, op. cit. p. 136.) 



At the head of Samana Bay there are well-recognized 

 Pigeon months, June, July, and August, and during these 

 months the natives make almost daily excursions from Sanchez 

 to the mangrove-swamps, where the Pigeons are in tens of 

 thousands. They load and fire as fast as their antiquated 

 miizzle-loading appliances will permit, and come home some- 

 times with their boat literally laden with Pigeons, which they 

 sell for 10 cents per couple. These are delicious eating at this 

 season if properly cooked. 



I made several excursions into the swamp after Pigeons, 

 and one day, June 25, I shot as many as 120, mostly on the 

 wing, in about three hours. It is only necessary to put on 

 a pair of waders or top-boots and take one's stand in the 

 best open space one can find among the tallest mangrove- 

 trees. After a dozen or so have fallen, some shot as they 

 fly over and others as they settle for a moment on the tops 

 of the trees, the most difficult work of the day begins, that of 

 wading round to look for them. Unless a native is employed 

 to retrieve them, one has to climb through the network of 

 wet and slippery aerial mangrove-roots, sometimes sinking 

 into the black mud and water up to one's middle, while 

 legions of small crabs, and some big ones with legs a foot 

 long, recede and disappear behind each root or up each stem 



