BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 97 



JAMAICAN VIREO. Vireosylva calidris calidris (Linnaeus). 



BlEN-TE-VEO. 



The Jamaican vireo is a common summer visitant to this region. The first 

 one was seen near Mameyes February 14, and from that date on they were 

 common. Ranging over the entire island of Porto Rico, they were found every- 

 where in coffee plantations, brushy pastures and ravines, and in shade trees 

 about houses. Bowdish (1902-3, p. 16) remarks that apparently they are par- 

 tially migratory, while Gundlach (1878, p. 168) says that they occur from Feb- 

 ruary 14 to the end of August. In the National Museum is a specimen taken 

 February 13, 1899, at Hucares, by A. B. Baker, of the Fish Commission, while 

 Stahl (1887, p. 451) notes one February 5, 1887, the earliest date known for the 

 species. Males seemed to arrive first and came in full song, while no female was 

 actually taken until April 11, after which they, too, were common. On March 9 

 there was a migratory wave of these vireos, as in the morning at the Hacienda 

 Catalina the coffee plantations, were full of their songs but next day they were 

 gone. In fall these birds had completed the molt by the first week in August, 

 and on the 16th of that month their numbers suddenly decreased, after which 

 they were evidently migrating, the last one being observed on August 31 at 

 Cabo Rojo. 



Slow and leisurely in habit, they work through the leaves and twigs, some- 

 times singing for several minutes from one perch and exhibting no fear. The 

 song is a series of couplets, closely resembling that of the red-eyed species, and 

 they have the usual scolding note of the vireos. The breeding season began 

 the first of May and lasted through June. No nests were found, but at Lares 

 June 29 a boy brought in a nestling and described the nest as being in a banana 

 plant. A juvenal female in the National Museum was taken at Mayaguez 

 May 30, 1901, by Bowdish. Throughout July young birds were common, either 

 shifting for themselves or following their parents with a soft insistent cJiit chit, 

 while the adults answered with another low plaintive note, different from the 

 usual call. Two seemed to be the usual number in a brood. During the breed- 

 ing season the birds have a circumscribed range. Often a male was found in 

 a small isolated grove and remained there throughout the day. In August only 

 a few were heard singing. The iris of this species is bright reddish brown. 



Eighty-four stomachs of the Jamaican vireo were examined, distributed 

 evenly through the months from February to August, and animal food was 

 found to comprise 42.18 per cent and vegetable 57.82 per cent. 



Animal food. — Remains of grasshoppers (Locustidse) were found in three 

 stomachs, elongated walking sticks (Phasmidae) in two, miscellaneous Orthop- 

 tera in nine, and mantids in three. These in combination come to 6.34 per cent. 

 Cicadas (Proarno Mlaris) were eaten by six birds, a lantern fly (Ormenis sp.) 

 by one, and other small Homoptera by three, all amounting to 6.37 per cent. 

 Among other bugs one stinkbug {Nezara sp.) was identified and one squash bug 

 (Spartocera fusca), both members of families whose species are injurious. 

 These with bits of an ambush bug come to 1.92 per cent. 



Leaf beetles comprise 1.51 per cent of the total bulk and the cane weevil 

 root-borer (Diaprepes spengleri), found in three instances, 0.51 per cent. 

 Other snout beetles, which in three instances were coffee leaf -weevils, amount 

 to 3.35 per cent. Weevils as a class occurred in 32 stomachs, so that they are 

 an important item in the food. Ladybird beetles were eaten five times, but 

 only made 0.42 per cent. A few darkling, longicorn, and dung beetles amount 

 to 0.64 per cent. Twenty-one birds had eaten caterpillars, which as vegetable 

 feeders must be reckoned as injurious. They form the largest item of the ani- 

 mal food (9.7 per cent). Hymenoptera, at least half of which may be called 

 9767°— Bull. 326—16 7 



