tJie Birds of Barbados. 481 



think they are only individuals passing through at the periods 

 of migration. Dr. C. J. Manning obtained a fine specimen 

 of Margarops densirostris in his garden at Bagatelle on the 

 2nd of March, 1889, which he kindly forwarded to me. It 

 proved to be a male. It is not likely that so large and 

 striking-looking a bird could be a resident in Barbados with- 

 out the fact being known. 



— 2. Parula AMERICANA (Linn.). 



Mr. Herbert Hart, of Fairfield, St. Philip, gave me a 

 mounted specimen of this species, which he had shot in his 

 garden in the month of June, a very late date for this 

 migratory bird to have remained in Barbados. Gosse gives 

 the 20th of April as the latest date for its stay in Jamaica. 

 On the 4th of November, 1888, I recognized one in an 

 oleander- bush, within two feet of me, in a garden at Hastings, 

 and subsequently I met with several others at various spots 

 in the island. 



—3. Dendrceca CAPiTALis (Lawr.) . Yellow-bird. 



This species is peculiar to Barbados. The bright yellow 

 plumage of the male makes it a very conspicuous object. It 

 is extremely common throughout the island from the higher 

 elevations to the shore-line. It is often to be seen hopping 

 among the stalks of the growing maize and other plants, 

 though it is equally arboreal in its habits, and addicted to 

 the shade of the broad-leaved sea-side grape {Coccoloba). Its 

 food is chiefly insects. There was a pair of these pretty 

 little birds that made their headquarters all the year through 

 in a tree close to my dwelling, and I have seen one fly down 

 and attack a large spider on the ground, which took it some 

 time to kill. Wishing to see the species of spider, I stepped 

 out and took it up ; the little Yellow-bird only retreated a 

 few paces, and the instant I dropped the spider, returned and 

 snapped it up. This bird has a short and melodious song, of 

 no great strength or compass, but in the mornings, shortly 

 after sunrise, every grove and clump of trees resounds with 

 their pleasing Avarble. The nest is a compactly built struc- 

 ture of grass and roots, with a few feathers interspersed. 



