on the ‘ Mosquito Hawk ’ or Jamaica ‘ Give-me-me-bit.' 97


book on Ornithology would tell. I therefore refer any curious

to such an extent to a Natural History. A gully here (Jamaica)

famous for its Green Todies, has, amongst its other habitues, a

number of ‘ Give-me-me-bits,’ that is during their stay in Jamaica.

At the proper season, say June or July, one may come across the

bird’s domestic arrangements.


On June 14th, and of course on the bare ground, somewhat

higher than the ground around, yet still in the gully bed, which

but ten days earlier was in full flood, I surprised a ‘ Give-me-me-

bit.’ Clumsily rising from a yard or so before me she alighted,

maybe fifteen yards distant and, although so near, an inex¬

perienced eye would not have easily detected her, so well does

the bird’s coloration and its studied deshabille lend to the shade

of soil and trash around. With ruffled plumage and extended

wings the bird felt satisfied no doubt of its own security and also

its egg. This, after some search, I was pleased to find. When

found one at first wonders why the search has been in any way

difficult. It is at the same time conspicuous and the reverse.

A11 object of great beauty lying on the bare soil and withal a

pebble! Either end of the egg is equally obtusely rounded, and

it is somewhat larger than an average domestic pigeon’s egg. It

resembles a variety of marble, a polished mottled grey. Now

the native belief or superstition around the handling of a Mos¬

quito Hawk’s egg is


‘ Tek (take) up liegg, tele up trouble,


Put it down, put down you (your) luck.’


I did not know this at the time. A dilemma is suggested anyway.


A pair of Barbary Doves found themselves ‘up a tree’

eleven days later. I carried home this egg and, distributing the

evil consequences, placed it in their nest. The egg was most

indifferently brooded aud I feared. One bird—the hen—being

naturally a little shortsighted covered it each night, but the cock

being (also naturally) more sagacious, appeared less ready to lend

support to the general scheme. He seemed to like it beside him

rather than beneath him. Sure enough, however, after eleven

days of these proceedings there was the new baby !


Its feeding was as great a problem to me as to the foster-

parents. The foster mother protested when asked to give up her



