BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 



53 



Hartlaub (1847), who is quoted by Sundevall (1869, p. 601). Mr. Bowdish tells me that 

 In some way he confused this bird with Zenaida zenaida lucida, as the notes and actions 

 of the two are similar, so that his record (1902-3, p. 361) is not available. I watched 

 carefully for this species on the island and made many inquiries concerning it without 

 success.] 



WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON. Columba leucocephala Linnaeus. 

 Paloma Cabeziblanca, Viequera, Torcaza. 



The white-crowned pigeon was formerly one of the most abundant species in 

 Porto Rico, but now is found only in a few localities. Gundlach (1878, p. 345) 

 spoke of it as very common in the seventies, but its numbers have undoubtedly 

 greatly decreased. The birds occur mainly near the coast, usually in dense 

 swampy growths, though one was seen near Aibonito ; and the few small areas 

 of forest remaining in the lowlands may account for their diminution in num- 

 bers. Around Punta Picua, north of Mameyes, they were found preparing to 

 breed in the swamps, where the growth was so dense that it was hard to get 

 near them. They usually came out into the more open portions late in the 

 evening, to feed on the fruit of the icaco (Chrysobalxmus sp.), but even then 

 kept well concealed in the thick leaves. The birds flushed with a loud clapping 

 of wings, and flew strongly, making wide sweeping circles, or darting swiftly 

 through the trees. In the heat of the day they perched in high trees over the 

 swamps, resting quietly on dead limbs. 



The first of July they were fairly common in the dense brush near the lagoons 

 to the north of Manati. In May and June, when various fruits are ripe, they 

 gather in considerable flocks and visit regions where they are unknown at 

 other times. 



Food. — Five stomachs examined contained vegetable matter only, composed 

 of drupes and fruits of fair size. The icaco and berries of various palms 

 (palmo real and lluma) are favorites with these birds, while a tree known as 

 pal'o bianco (Drypetes sp.) is said to furnish them food in season. No culti- 

 vated crop is injured, the bird depending wholly upon wild fruits for its sus- 

 tenance. With the clearing of the remaining forest areas in the lowlands this 

 species w T ill, without doubt, become practically extinct. At present, however, 

 it has a certain importance as a game bird, and for its protection the same 

 measures apply as for the scaled pigeon (p. 54). 



The following were identified in the stomachs examined : 



Palmo (Coccothrinax sp.) 1 



Icaco (Chrysobalanus sp.) 2 



Icaco (Chrysobalanus pellocarpus) 1 



Fabaceae sp 



Adelia (Adelia sp.). 

 Moral (Cordia sp.). 



SCALED PIGEON. Columba squamosa Bonnaterre. 

 Paloma Turca. 



The large scaled pigeon is resident in Porto Rico in the mountain regions, and 

 is common in the higher inaccessible portions where areas of forest still remain. 

 A few were seen on Vieques and Culebra, where formerly they were said to be 

 common. From all accounts they are abundant on Mona, and occur on Desecheo 

 also, at times in considerable numbers. In the dense forests covering the slopes 

 of El Yunque de Luquillo, in the northeastern part of Porto Rico, great numbers 

 were noted. In the late afternoon and evening it was common to see them 

 circling high in the air near the Hacienda Catalina, while in the forests they 

 abounded up to 2,500 feet altitude. It was surprising how well 25 or 30 of 

 these big pigeons roosting in the thin foliage of a cacao rosetta tree (Sloanea 

 bcrteriana) managed to keep hidden. The ordinary call note was a loud, 

 strongly accented who lioo hoo, wbile a burring guttural hoo-o-o-o, given with 

 a throaty rattle, was almost startling when directly overhead. Many pigeons fed 



