BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 



59 



quently of large size, form 6.85 per cent, and cicadas (Proarno hilaris) 4.16 per 

 cont. Caterpillars in six stomachs and moths in two together comprised 7.92 

 per cent. Coleoptera amount to only 0.92 per cent, and about half of this food 

 consisted of weevil remains, the rest of fragments of longicorns (Leptostylus 

 sp.) and a leaf beetle (Mesomphalia sp. ). Earwigs were eaten three times and 

 orthopteran remains occurred twice. 



In consuming such quantities of lizards this bird must be considered injurious, 

 though to some extent it makes up for this by a diet of pernicious caterpillars, 

 and in case of serious outbreaks of these pests this cuckoo could do good work in 

 suppressing them. The bird is not common enough to make a reduction of its 

 numbers necessary, nor under present conditions will it become so. Though 

 many lizards are destroyed, they still hold their own. The ground cuckoo has 

 from all accounts diminished greatly in numbers in the last 40 years and is no 

 longer present in sufficient numbers to be of economic importance. 



The following were identified in the stomachs examined : 



HEMIPTERA. 



Proarno hilaris 4 



COLEOPTERA. 



Leptostylus sp 1 



Mesomphalia sp 1 



Rliyssematus sp 1 



ARACHNIDA. 



Theraphosidaa 1 



REPTILIA. 



Anolis sp 7 



Anolis cristatellus 1 



Anolis krugi 2 



Anolis gundlachi 1 



Anolis stratulus 1 



ANI. Crotophaga ani Linnaeus. 

 Judio. 



The ani is a common resident species in Porto Rico. These strange birds 

 are found in flocks of from half a dozen to 20 or more, principally in pastures, 

 but also in cane fields and orange groves, where they sometimes feed. In the 

 pastures they remain near the cattle, keeping ahead of them with long hops, 

 presumably to get the insects scared up. An intruder is greeted with a queru- 

 lous call, and the whole flock goes stringing off across the fields to perch in a 

 bush or low tree, where they crowd together and peer out curiously, their long 

 tails and arched beaks producing an odd appearance. In early morning, when 

 the grass is wet, they frequently sit with wings extended, drying them in the 

 sun. The wings are small for the size of the bird, and the flight, a series of 

 steady wing beats alternating with short sails, is not strong. In a heavy wind 

 the birds are almost helpless and seldom rise very high at any time. When 

 on the wing the back appears concave, as the head and tail are held higher. 



On Culebra Island these birds fairly swarmed in the pastures. They are 

 said formerly to have been as common on Porto Rico, but to have lessened in 

 numbers greatly since the introduction of the mongoose. As they are much 

 on the ground the mongoose could surprise them often. In the heat of the day 

 they usually take refuge in the shade of dense clumps of bamboo along streams. 

 They also roost in these at night, as well as in the mangroves around the 

 lagoons. The ordinary call notes are a low kur-r-rk, and a querulous quee ick 

 quee ick varied by low chuckling notes. When the birds are at all wild they 

 serve to alarm the entire country, as they begin to call immediately upon per- 

 ceiving a strange object. Although they occur in the pastures in the higher 

 altitudes, they are not at all common except lower down. 



The breeding season varies greatly. A female containing a fully formed egg 

 was taken near Rio Piedras December 20, and breeding birds or young in first 



