A M ERICA N ORXITIIOLOGY. 107 



marked differences in appearance and habits from what we would ex- 

 pect. The representative of the English Sparrow in this land is much 

 smaller than his American relative, and the male and female are marked 

 very much alike, each having a black spot under the throat. Their call 

 note and habits are very similar to those we are acquainted with at 

 home. The White-necked Raven is also much smaller than those at 

 home, while they seem to confine their nest building to the trees in- 

 stead of sometimes building on the cliffs as the American bird does. 

 The Barn Swallow not having a barn to build in has taken up his abode 

 in the house with man and goes about his business there as unconcerned 

 as though he owned the place. 



It seems to me that I never saw so many Flycatchers elsewhere, and 

 they are very highly colored and strangest of all, almost to a bird are 

 songsters, in many cases having a very sweet note. Vireos are also 

 plentiful, though their eggs in every case I have thus far noticed are 

 either a bluish white or a clear white — nest is pendent and of about the 

 same construction as the American birds. The most common variety 

 of this little friend is a very rich olive on back with a yellow throat 

 with breast shading to white — bird about size of White-eyed Vireo or 

 smaller. Among all the different fiitters, we have failed to see a single 

 warbler of any kind. To us this seems strange, for in most cases every 

 family is represented in some way. In this connection I want to speak 

 of what seems inexplicable to me and that is that, though this is the 

 land of most lovely flowers, there are absolutely no Humming birds so 

 far as I can learn. Why this should be I cannot tell. We miss their 

 merry hum among the flowers. The representative of the Screech Owl 

 is quite different from anything I have seen at home, though about the 

 same size and of about the same habits. His note is more of a laugh 

 though quite as weird, but the egg instead of being white is very much 

 spotted with blood spots in most cases. These spots will wash off up- 

 on applying hot water, but when taken from the nest the eggs look very 

 much fly spotted, indeed these spots almost hide the color of the ^z^. 

 The size is about the same as the Screech Owl's o.'g'S,- 



Kingfishers are numerous and of every size and color, but all are 

 very highly colored, but they are by no means as noisy a lot as their 

 relative, the Belted. 



Among the most interesting of the birds is the little Grassquit which 

 is numerous here. This bird begins to build in early April and I have 

 seen them at work building as late as October 10, though we have never 

 found eggs later than the middle of August, hence I believe that the 

 October work was play, or perhaps the birds were building just to keep 

 in practice. Of all birds I have ever seen, this one is the most partic- 



