10 BIRDS OP JAMAICA. 



A wide tanging tree-pigeon found from the Florida Keys throughout the West Indies 

 to Yucatan and Panama. In Jamaica it is a common resident sf ecies, and though much 

 shot for food, appears to hold its numbers fairly well. 

 \Patagioenas squamosa. (Bonnaterre). Sealy-naped Pigeon. "Eed- 



necked Pigeon 1" 



The range of this species includes pretty much all of the Lesser and Greater Antilles, 

 with the exception of Jamaica, from whence it has never been definitely recorded. Ail 

 ornithologists who have visited Jamaica however have heard from the local gunners and 

 woodsmen of a "Red-necked Pigeon" that they sometimes shoot. Gosse speaks of this. 

 Scott much more recently discusses the same bird at length, but makes no guess as to 

 what it might be. Bangs while in Jamaica had described to him by a local gunner 

 a pigeon, under the name of "The Red-necked Pigeon," so accurately that he believed 

 no other bird than P. squamosa could have been meant. This man said, also, that he 

 still occasionally shot one or two, (this was in 1907) in a season, but that the bird was 

 then very rare. The name is very descriptive, and as there is no reason why P. squa- 

 mosa should not occur in Jamaica, we include it in this list, as we do all doubtful spe- 

 cies, and suggest that it may be the "Red-necked Pigeon" of the gunners.] 

 CMoroenas caribaea. (Jacquin). Jamaican Band-tailed Pigeon; 



Ring-tailed Pigeon. 



This fine, large Tree-Pigeon is a lesident peculiar to Jamaica. It is rathei local in 

 its distribution, and is found chiefly in the mountain forests. From all we can learn, 

 it is nowhere abundant now-a-days, except in some of the very wildest mountain re- 

 gions. 

 Chloroenas inornata exigvM. Ridgway. Jamaican Plain Pigeon: Blue 



Pigeon. 



The Blue Pigeon is resident in the Greater Antilles, and is represented in the different 

 islands in which it occuis by well-marked sub-species; Cuba, the Isle of Pines, Porto 

 Rico, and Jamaica all having their own local forms. It was common in the earlier days, 

 but is the one Tree-Pigeon that is disappearing rapidly in all the islands, and we fear ' 

 that both the Cuban and the Jamaican forms are actually on the verge of extinction. 



PSITTCAIDAE. 



Typical Parrots. 

 Ara gossei. Rothschild Gosse's Macaw. 



Just when 1 his Macaw, which was the Jamaican rei resentative ot Ara tricolor Bechs- 

 tein of Cuba, became extinct is uncertain. Rothschild's name was based on the des- 

 cription of the birdby Gosse, that wa8"shot about 1765 by Mr. Odellin the moimtains 

 of'Hanovei Parish, about ten miles east of Lucea." 



All that can now be said is that Gosse's Macaw , peculiar to Jamaica, has long been 

 extinct. 

 Ara erythrocephala. Rothschild. Red-headed Green Macaw. 



This species was also peculiar to Jamaica, and is now extinct. 

 It was a large Macaw, much larger than A. gossei. 



Apparently in Hiii's time it still existed in the fountains of Trelawny and St. Ann. 

 A specimen was "procured by Mr. White, propiietor of the Oxford Estate. " 

 Eupaiitxda nana. (Vigors) . Jamaican Paroquet. Yellow- bel- 



lied Paroquet. 

 Resident peculiai to Jamaica. This Paroquet was perhaps always oi local distribu- 

 tion in the island, but was certainly much more abundant formerly than now. None 

 were observed by Scott in 1890-1891. 

 Amazona atjilis. (Linne). Lesser Jamaican Parrot. Black- 



billed Parrot. 

 This species is resident and jeculiai to Jamaica. It was formerly much more abun- 

 dant than now, though it is j robably in no immediate danger oi extinction. 

 Amazona collaria. (Linne). Jamaican Parrot. Yellow-billed 



Parrot. 

 This species is also pecuUar to Jamaica, and like the Black -billed Parrot, is a much 

 rarer bird than it used to be. 



CUCULIDAE. 



Cuckoos. 

 Crotophaga ani Linne. Ani: Savanna Black bird. 



This wide ranging bird is a very common residen species in Jamaica. It lives in 

 the open savannas and j astures, iihere its curious habits and notes and gregariousness 

 make it one of the most conspicuous birds of the island. 



