BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 



89 



these are balanced by the larger numbers of stinkbugs and flies eaten, not to 

 mention many beetles. At Maricao, in the first days of June, thousands of the 

 destructive termites or white ants were flying in the evenings and in the 

 dusk a dozen or more martins circled back and forth through them, eating until 

 they were satisfied. These insects feed upon wood and are very destructive, 

 honeycombing the walls and floors of houses, and building enormous nests in the 

 forests with covered passageways leading up the trunks of trees ; thus in eating 

 these the martins do good service. Apparently no attempt has been made 

 to provide these birds with artificial nesting boxes, but there is no reason why 

 this plan should not prove successful and permit the species materially to in- 

 crease in numbers. At present the nesting sites suited to their needs are few. 

 The following insects were identified in the martin stomachs examined : 



ORTHOPTERA. 



Ellipes minuta. 



HEMIPTERA. 



Thyanta sp 



Thyanta perditor. 



COLEOPTERA. 



Tropisternus collarisl 



Hyperaspis apicalis 



Carpophilus hemipterus. 



coleoptera — continued. 



Cryptocephalus sp. 



Rhipiphorus sp 



Caulophilus sp 



Eristalis alhiceps 



Compsomyia macellaria 



HXMENOPTERA. 



Chalets sp- 



PEARLY-EYED THRASHER. Margarops fuscatus fuscatus (Vieillot). 



ZORZAL, ZORZAL PARDO, ZORZAL DE LOS PALMARES, ZORZAL NEGRO, TRUCHE. 



The pearly-eyed thrasher is a resident species in this region. On the smaller 

 islands it is very common, but shy and usually hard to secure, as it lives in the 

 densest growths of brush, creepers, and cactus. In following the trails I would 

 see one dart across ahead of me or fly up from the ground at one side, to be lost 

 immediately. In habits it is remarkably thrushlike. 



These birds are very curious, and were attracted by " squeaking," while the 

 outcries of other birds always drew them. When singing they were easily 

 approached, as with wings and tail hanging they sat on a limb, usually hidden 

 by leaves. The song resembled the syllables ivheur, tel leur, tsee, given brokenly 

 with many variations, so that, while the notes themselves were pleasing, the 

 whole effect was disconnected and rambling. The birds sing by the hour, and 

 the monotony and persistency of the sounds become in time rather wearisome. 



Food. — In 3S stomachs of this large, robust thrasher animal matter amounted 

 to only 12.81 per cent, while vegetable food reached the large sum of 87.19 per 

 cent. The animal food is scattering, being apparently whatever attracts the 

 attention of the bird, nearly all of the insects taken being of large size. One 

 bird collected on Culebra Island April 10 had eaten the nymph of a mole cricket 

 (Scapteriscus didactylns) . Other orthopteran remains (2.75 per cent) were 

 found in six stomachs and among them may be noted a walking stick (phasmid) 

 and a grasshopper (acridid). Weevils (1.36 per cent), occurring four times, 

 included the cane root-borer (Diaprepes spengleri), a curculio, and others. 

 Spiders (2.63 per cent), conspicuous in the fauna of the dry islands where the 

 thrasher is most common, were eaten seven times. Two birds taken in the coast 

 region had captured crustaceans, one of which was a fiddler crab (Uca pugnax 

 rapax ) . The birds were seen a time or two in the mangroves peering down with 

 great interest at the army of crabs marching about beneath them. Vertebrate 

 remains, a tree toad and two lizards (Anolis sp.), amount to 1.45 per cent. 



