255



Corresponde?ice, Notes, etc.



on the wings. At May Pen, where I am living, bird life is abundant. First,

Johnny Crow, which every bird from the Hummer up goes for. Riding in

the Mocha Mountains one day, I saw a Loggerhead attack a Crow which

was sitting on a dead tree. The attack was so strong that the Crow flew

down just under the nose of my horse. After riding past a few yards, I

stopped, and again the Loggerhead attacked the Crow, which never

attempted to defend himself, and the last I saw as I rode on was the Crow

with its head packed away under its wing and the Loggerhead charging it

from every side. I am told by the blacks that it is a most difficult thing to

find a Crow’s nest, and not a very desirable “ find,” as the stench is awful.

I am told the young Crows are covered with white down.


There is a pair of Humming Birds nesting in a large guango tree in

front of mj' bungalow, and no other bird has any right in either the guango

or yet a large bread fruit tree near by, the large leaves of the latter furnish

a shelter for the Hummer during a tropical shower. The male bird is a

beauty about the size of a Gouldian Finch, head dark green, wings

brownish green, under parts a splendid metallic green, which shows up

splendidly in the sun as the bird flying about sucks the scarlet hibiscus

flowers. This bird has two fine long tail feathers which extend past the

real tail about seven inches. The bill is bright scarlet. He is absolutely

fearless, and when I am sitting on the piazza flies alongside me to search the

flowers within a foot of where I am sitting. He drinks in the early morn¬

ing by sipping the dew, and should we have a shower of rain he extends his

wings and flutters them as he sits on a branch of a guava—a favourite tree

of his—and sips the rain drops from the leaves.


The Jamaican Blackbird or Tick Bird is common in all pastures and

woods. Cat-bird would be a good name for this bird as it makes a mewing

noise. In the logwood bush there is a species of creeper beautifully marked

with fine white and black marks all over. In the logwood bush I have seen

most of the Quits, also the Greeu-body-bird or, as the Jamaicans call it, the

Robin-red-breast (a beautiful little bird with a very peculiar call), the Old¬

man or Rain-bird, Banana, Blue and Orange Quits, also Grass and Beam

Quits, the latter are more common in higher lands.


Ringtail, Blue and Bald-pate Pigeons are common along mountain

streams, and the Ground-Dove is seen everywhere on the plains. I am told

they are on the increase, having taken to nesting in trees, and so get out of

the way of the Mongoose, the last-named animal, I am told, is on the

decrease owing to the grass lice and ticks.


Nearly all the Jamaican birds are protected by the Government, so

one has not much chance of making any close examination of the different

birds, but nearly all the Jamaican birds are tame and fearless, and with a

little care one gets within easy distance—a pair of field glasses also come

in useful.



