40 BULLETIN 326, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



or brown ant {Solenopsis geminata) had been eaten by seven birds, one stomach 

 containing 41, another 50, and another 83 individuals. This ant is known to be 

 very injurious to young orange trees, so that the killdeer at once becomes of 

 importance in the citrus groves. One broad-shouldered water strider (Micro- 

 velia sp.) and a single water boatman (Corixa sp.) were found. One stomach 

 contained 12 caterpillars and another an ichneumon fly. These miscellaneous 

 items form 1.56 per cent. 



Dragon flies occur in two stomachs taken in July, and form 3.92 per cent 

 of the total. Mollusks figure as 19.02 per cent, and among them three genera 

 were identified (Truncatella, PlanorMs, and Paludestrina) . One stomach con- 

 tained a few fish remains. 



Vegetable food. — Though amounting to only 1.66 per cent of the total, vege- 

 table matter was found in nine stomachs ; in only two was there material that 

 could be classed as rubbish. Each of the other seven held small seeds, among 

 which were identified guinea grass {Panicum sp.), crab grass (Syntherisma 

 sanguinalis) , white-top (Dicliromena ciliata) , pigweed (Amaranthus sp.), purs- 

 lane (Portulaca oleracea), knotweed (Polygonum sp.), plantain {Plantago sp.), 

 croton (Croton sp.), and several seeds of composite plants. The large share 

 of these are weed seeds growing abundantly in the haunts of this killdeer. 



Although small, the Antillean killdeer might be considered a game bird, but 

 its food habits warrant giving it full protection and encouragement, as its serv- 

 ices to the agriculturist are too valuable to be lost. It is especially useful in 

 cultivated fields and orchards. Analysis of its food shows that it is entirely 

 beneficial, and from its habits it can perform services not rendered by other 

 birds. 



GOLDEN PLOVER. Charadrius dominions dominions (Miiller). 

 Playeeo, Choelito, Pluvial. 



The golden plover is apparently a rare migrant through Porto Rico. Sun- 

 devall (1869, p. 602) speaks of two specimens sent him by Hjalmarson. Gund- 

 lach (1878a, p. 189) secured specimens near Arecibo in November, and Stahl 

 (1883, p. 152) had two in his collection. One bird was seen feeding along the 

 beach near the mouth of the Rio Mameyes February 16, but was not secured. 

 There are no other records for this bird. 



BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. Squatarola squatarola (Linnaeus). 

 Pluvial, Pluvial Grande. 



Gundlach (1878a, p. 188) secured specimens of the black-bellied plover 

 around San Juan Bay, and Stahl (1883, p. 152) had two specimens from Porto 

 Rico in his collection. There are no other actual records for the bird, and it 

 must be regarded as a rare migrant. 



RUDDY TURNSTONE. Arenaria interpres morinella (Linnaeus). 

 Playeeo Tueco, Putilla Tueca. 



Gundlach (1878, p. 379) records the arrival of the ruddy turnstone in Sep- 

 tember and says it remains until May. He found the species (1878a, p. 188) at 

 Mayagiiez, Cabo Rojo, Quebradillas, and Vega Baja. It is a winter visitant 

 apparently tolerably common. On February 15 a small flock was seen by the writer 

 feeding along the mud flats on Punto Miquillo north of Mameyes, and the same 

 flock was observed again on the 21st. The birds kept close together on the 

 ground, and when startled got up with a loud whistled note, flying in a com- 

 pact flock. They were well known to fishermen and charcoal burners near 

 Mameyes, and were said to occur regularly. On April 15 three or four were 

 seen on Culebrita Island. This species occurs only where there are mud flats 



