BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 



101 



OVEN-BIRD. Seiurus aurocapillus (Linnaeus). 



PlZPITA DORADA. 



The oven-bird is a tolerably common winter visitant to Porto Rico and Vieques 

 Island. Bowdish (1902-3, p. 19) notes one October 14, 1901, as his first fall 

 record, and Gundlach (1878, p. 175) says that they arrive in October. Birds 

 were seen in the forests of El Yunque up to 900 feet elevation, and in the central 

 part of the island they were observed at Aibonito (1,900 feet altitude). They 

 frequent thickets and second-growth forests many times in dry localities. Here 

 they feed on the ground, flying up to low perches when alarmed. They were 

 entirely silent. In the coastal regions they are frequently seen in cane fields. 



Food. — In 13 stomachs of this bird available for laboratory examination 

 animal food amounts to 62.43 per cent and vegetable to 37.57 per cent. These 

 birds were collected in the months from December to April, inclusive. In all 

 these stomachs were considerable quantities of gravel, and all animal matter 

 was ground very fine. Weevil remains (4.8 per cent) were present in four 

 stomachs taken in April. Other beetle remains (9.63 per cent) in eight stomachs 

 were so finely broken that they could not be determined. Ants were eaten by 

 eight birds and form the large amount of 8.5 per cent. Other Hymenoptera 

 make up only 0.4 per cent. Orthopterous remains (2.17 per cent) include a 

 walking stick, a grasshopper, and others. A caterpillar (0.5 per cent) was 

 found in one stomach and spiders (2.33 per cent) in three. Snails, in most 

 instances broken up in very small pieces, were eaten by eight birds and amount 

 to 30.17 per cent. A single tree toad comprises 0.93 per cent and miscellaneous 

 animal matter 3 per cent. 



The oven-bird is wholly beneficial in its food habits and is remarkable for the 

 large number of ants eaten, as well as many weevils and other beetles. Snails 

 are much relished, and form nearly half the animal food. A list of identified 

 specimens in different classes follows: 



COLEOPTERA. 



Eusceyes porcellus 



HYMENOPTERA. 



Wasmannia aaropunctata 

 Cyphomyrmex rimosiis 



MOLLUSCA. 



PlanorMs sp. 

 Subulina sp . 



VERTEBRATA. 



Eleatherodactylus sp 



Vegetable food. — Of the vegetable matter contained in these stomachs 36.9 

 per cent was composed of seeds and 0.67 per cent may be classed as rubbish. 

 The oven-bird has a strong, muscular gizzard and takes large quantities of 

 sand, so that the seeds are broken and ground until they are fit for digestion. 

 None are of economic value, as may be judged from the list which follows : 



Ichnanthus (Ichnanthtis pallens) 4 



Paspalum (Paspalum sp.) 2 



Stargrass (Hypoxis sp.) 3 



Camacey (Miconia prasina) 3 



Concoinbre (Cucumis sp.) 2 



PALM WARBLER. Dendroica palmarum palmarum (Gmelin). 

 REINITAj Bijirita de Palmas, Bijirita Palmera. 



A single specimen of the palm warbler, a rare winter visitant to Porto Rico, 

 was taken in a mangrove swamp bordering the Rio Mameyes, north of Mameyes, 

 on February 16, 1912. In the United States National Museum is a specimen 

 taken January 8, 1S99, at Caguas by A. B. Baker, and another from Arecibo, 

 April 4, 1900, by Dr. C. W. Richmond. Bowdish (1902-3, p. 18) records them 

 from San Juan February 12, March 10, and April 8, 1900. The stomach of the 

 single bird collected at Mameyes was empty. 



