from the West Indies. 577 



over the head ; the crown was scarcely grey and much 

 washed with buff. 



On February 29th we anchored at Kingston, Jamaica. I 

 was somewhat surprised to find that the island had a decidedly 

 parched appearance, and was not nearly so thickly wooded 

 as are most of the other West-Indian Islands. Black Vultures 

 (Cathartes atratus) are abundant in the town. 



I visited the Museum belonging to the Agricultural 

 Society, where there is a fair collection of native birds, but 

 they are badly stuffed. 



I spent two days in Jamaica, in the woods and mangrove- 

 swamps near Kingston, but did not find birds at all abundant. 

 I obtained examples of the following eighteen species : — 



Pitnngus caudifasciatus (D'Orb.). 

 Myiarchus stolidus (Gosse). 

 Mellisuga minima {Linn.). 

 Todua viridis Linn. 

 Tringa minutilla J 'ieill. 

 Totanus macularius (Lhm.). 

 Florida caerulea {Linn.). 

 Hydranassa ruricollis (Gosse). 

 Rallus caribasus (Ridgy).). 



Mimus orpheus (Linn.). 

 Mniotilta varia (Linn.). 

 Dendroeca petechia (Linn.). 

 Dendrceca discolor (Vieill.). 

 Siurus noveboracensis (GmeL] 

 Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.). 

 Certhiola flaveola (Linn.). 

 Vireo modest usScl. 

 Quiscalus crassiro^tris Swains 



I append short notes on two of these species : — 



Mellisuga minima. — I was much surprised at the extra- 

 ordinarily loud voice of this tiny Humming-bird. When I 

 first heard it I mistook it for the cry of a Honey-creeper, 

 and I was much astonished when I discovered that it was 

 this minute bird that was giving forth these loud notes while 

 sitting on the top of a sapling. 



Todus viridis. — I obtained only two females of this bird, 

 but probably overlooked others, as it sits motionless on a 

 branch, and owing to its green back is difficult to distinguish 

 from the leaves. 



We left Jamaica on March 8th for Grand Cayman. The 

 Caymans, which form part of the Colony of Jamaica, consist 

 of three islands — Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman 

 Brae. They lie south of Cuba and 200 miles north- west of 



