GLASS-EYE. 



143 



and later in the spring, it appears, the shining fruit 

 of the Sweetwood (Laurus) is attractive to them. 

 On the 30th of March, my lad shot a male Glass- 

 eye -by the road-side at Cave, scarcely a stone's 

 throw from the sea, and level with it ; the stomach 

 contained the berries of this Laurus, which is abund- 

 ant just there. This is the only instance in which 

 I ever heard of the species, except in a mountain 

 locality. 



The common names of this bird are bestowed 

 in allusion to the tint of the iris of the eye : this, 

 as Mr. Hill observes, "is not absolutely white, 

 but so transparently suffused with a hue of olive, 

 that the eye has the look of very common glass." 



The figure, attitudes, and motions of the Glass- 

 eye are those of its fellow, the Hopping Dick ; it 

 is, however, much more recluse, and jealous of 

 being seen. The dashing manner of flight across 

 the narrow wood-paths are the same in both birds, 

 but the loud and startling tones of the lowland bird 

 are wanting in this. The Glass-eye has but one 

 note that I have heard; a single low " quank," 

 frequently repeated as he hops from bush to bush, 

 or plunges into the thicket. Dr. Chamberlaine 

 attributes to him " the same loud sonorous chirp 

 as he stealthily scuds from one dark recess of the 

 forest to another ;" but I should think him mis- 

 taken, were it not that Robinson, who gives a 

 very correct drawing of the species by the name 

 of Turdus capite ferrugineo, and describes it as 

 common in the Liguanea mountains, affirms that 

 " it whistles like our English Blackbirds." (MSS.) 



