QA Cory o>/ JVezv Sj>ccies of Birds from Santo Domi^igo. [April 



among the roots of the eight-foot grass brought to h'ght this tiny 

 Sf>ermophila . 



Before the gun had been reloaded, or the bird wrapped up and 

 put away, another male appeared, and in the course of an hour 

 or two three more specimens, all males, were added to the 

 first. Many more were seen and several killed, but the nature of 

 the ground made it very difficult to mark them dov^^n and find 

 them, while their motions were so quick, and the grass so thick 

 and high, that not one shot in three counted. No females were 

 seen at this time, but within the next two weeks four more males 

 and two females were taken. 



That they were nesting in the marsh there is little doubt, but 

 that the nest escaped detection is not strange. The birds were 

 never seen in flocks nor did they often associate with the "Cor- 

 batitas." 



The males were oftenest seen chasing each other over the 

 marsh or pausing on the top of some tall grass stem or blighted 

 bush to pour out their delightful song. 



Occasionally I caught a glimpse of a small bird in a flock of 

 Sycalis luteiventris^ which seemed to be unlike anything except 

 this little Sperniophila^ yet may easily have been mistaken. 

 Our little Finch is too fond of the open marsh, the society of the 

 Wood Ibis and Courlan, and the rustling of the knife-edged giant- 

 grass, to be found far from such haunts, and so long as he swells 

 his snowy throat only in such company he need fear little from 



man. .^, 



( 7b be conitttued.) 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF BIRDS FROM 

 SANTO DOMINGO. 



BY CHAS. B. CORY. 



Contopus frazari. General plumage grayish-olive ; feathers 

 of the crown dark brown, edged with olive ; throat ashy, becom- 

 ing olive on the sides of the breast and yellowish-brown on the 

 abdomen and crissum ; wing-coverts pale at the tips, forming two 

 very dull wing-bands ; secondaries very narrowly edged with 

 pale brownish-white ; tail brown ; under wing-coverts pale yel- 

 lowish-brown. Length, 5.40 ; wing, 2.45 ; tail, 2.65 ; tarsus, 50 ; 

 bill, .50. 



