Birch of Paradise on Little Tobaga (West Indies). 91


viz., four females in one tree, two females flying close by when

leaving' for another place, one male Apoda flying towards Alexandra

Road, and we heard several calls from different directions. Sitting

in the gallery of the house he saw a large male passing North-South

below house and a female later on. He also saw a female sitting

at a long' distance but before he could bear the glasses on it it

disappeared. There can he no mistake at all between male and

female Apodas. The male is, as you said, a larger bird than the

female, and can be distinguished from a long distance even when

flying, by its yellow colour at the back’of its head. The female is

all brown, but around the eyes and hack of head, also part of throat

there is a very deep colour which I take for very dark indigo blue.

It may be a very dark purple brown. The female bird is certainly

smaller and appears more slick. I shall write to-day to Mr. Brash

for a few tubes of colour for myself, and then I will try to send you

a coloured picture of male and female. I shall try to draw a little

sketch now.


There are certainly two distinct colours in a female Apoda,

but it is impossible to make a mistake as to the sex of the birds. I

am very sorry Mr. Brash had no chance to view a male bird at close

distance. Both males he saw T were in flight. As to the number of the

different sexes, I can state that there are six males, ten females, one

young, sex unknown. These are the numbers I can vouch for.

There may be two or three more, but there are certainly no less. It

is impossible to say that there are exactly such a number of each

sex on the island as they are never altogether to be seen and counted.

I have done all that is possible to get a clear estimate, and what I

have stated is the minimum, as I can run no chances in such an

important matter. If the birds were not so restless and would keep

together, it would not be so difficult, but they are such a disagreeable

lot of birds and never keep up friendship with each other. So they

are sometimes in pairs, mostly single and never in greater numbers

than four or five, and those are rare occasions.


I have tried to explain matters as well as I can, but hope

soon to send you sketches in colour, which will explain things better.



