Mr. M. J. Nicoll on Birds 



Tringa minutilla (Vieill.). 



Tringa minutilla Cory, B. W. I. p. 234. 



I shot a single example of the American Little Stint by a 

 large pool, not far from the shore. Its note, which resembles 

 the words " wick-wick" is uttered on the wing. 



Pelecanus fuscus Linn. 



Pelecanus fuscus Cory, B. W. I. p. 271. 



The Brown Pelican is very numerous at St. Kitts. One 

 which I shot was in quite immature plumage, the other was 

 getting the hoary feathers of the adult bird on the mantle 

 and wing-coverts. 



On February 15th Ave left St. Kitts for Antigua, which 

 avc reached on the afternoon of the same day. We were 

 not able to enter the harbour, owing to the shallow water 

 over the " bar/' and as Ave had to lie two miles off the 

 landing-place, and only spent a day there, I was unable to do 

 any collecting. I met a Mr. Selwyn Branch there, hoAv- 

 ever, who Avas collecting birds. He had made several 

 collections from different islands for the Tring Museum, 

 and he kindly presented a small collection of the following 

 birds to us : — 



Margarops densirostris ( Vieill.). 

 Muiotilta varia (Linn.). 

 Deudroeca striata (Linn.). 

 Dendroeca bartholemica (Sund.). 



Deiidrceca discolor ( Vieill.). 

 Certbiola dominicana (Taylor). 

 Euphonia flavifrons (Sparrm.). 

 Elainea martinica (Linn.). 



Mr. Selwyn Branch told me that he had collected birds 

 in Guadeloupe and Dominica, and that an old negro who 

 had been a slave had shown him on the mountains in 

 Guadeloupe the now long-deserted burrows of (Estrelata 

 hcesituta, and had told him that he remembered the time 

 Avhen he had taken twenty young in a day by drawing them 

 out of the burrows with an iron hook ; he used to eat them. 

 This native further said that they are now neA'er seen there. 

 It is possible that they may still be found in the mountains 

 of Haiti, Avhen that country is in a fit state to be properly 

 explored. 



