124 BULLETIN 326, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ■ 



heat could dry them and fasten them to the limbs than they were in regions of 

 copious rainfall. Though mistletoe is considered injurious where it is abundant 

 enough to kill the trees so unfortunate as to act as hosts, no complaint was made 

 of it in Porto Rico nor could any damage be attributed ot it. It grew commonly 

 in trees serving as shade for the coffee, but no attempt was made to cut it out 

 or keep it down. Infested trees were apparently healthy. The birds are very 

 active and at times I was led to believe that they were capturing insects, but no 

 trace of such food was found in the stomachs examined. 



Under present conditions the euphonia has no economic importance and is 

 harmless. It is much prized as a cage bird on the south side of the island and 

 many are trapped. There is no need of restricting this practice when carried on 

 humanely, as the birds, although hunted for this purpose for many years, hold 

 their own. Furthermore, it may be said that these little tanagers thrive and 

 appear happy in captivity, becoming tame and confiding, and bringing enjoy- 

 ment to many. 



Mistletoe, or capitana, seeds of the following species were identified in the 

 stomachs examined: 



Plioradendron quadrangulare 9 I Phoradendron chrysocarpum 29 



Phoradendron latifolium 18 Phoradendron sp 1 



PORTO RICAN GROSBEAK. Loxigilla portoricensis (Daudin). 

 Gallito, Churri, Capitan, Come Gaxdul. 



The grosbeak is a common resident in Porto Rico, occurring along the coast 

 only when there is dense brush, but found through the hills inland. It is seem- 

 ingly absent or very rare in the eastern third of the island. The birds are shy 

 and are observed often in coffee plantations feeding on the ground. Only occa- 

 sionally, in little-frequented localities, do they feed in the open. The flight is 

 quick and tilting, and the birds often dodge across from one patch of cover to 

 the next. The males fly into the tops of trees, and, keeping concealed in the 

 leaves, sing a loud cardinal-like song. But for the number heard singing, one 

 would consider them rare, so well do they keep hidden. This is one of the few 

 birds of Porto Rico that sing constantly, so that its song is all the more wel- 

 come. The ordinary call note is a low tsweet. These birds nest rather irregu- 

 larly throughout the year, the main nesting period, however, being from Feb- 

 ruary to the last of June. One nest was seen near Salinas on a horizontal limb 

 about 30 feet from the ground. One found June 26, near Lares, was in the top 

 of an inclined coffee tree, about 5 feet from the ground, and though it was large 

 and bulky it was almost entirely concealed. The foundation was of dried 

 banana leaves, and above these sticks, grass, and weed" stems were built up, 

 forming a deep cup, lined with grass and rootlets. This nest contained three 

 greenish eggs, spotted and blotched with brown. The young of this species pair 

 as soon as full grown and often before they are in fully adult plumage. The 

 young are most abundant in July and August. The adults are molting then and 

 have almost ceased to sing. 



At Lares it was believed that this bird was responsible for much of the dam- 

 age done to the coffee crop in stripping the berries of the sweet outer pulp, but 

 this I failed to substantiate by actual observation. These birds were some- 

 times seen scratching in the leaves in dense shrubbery for food. It was sur- 

 prising to see how well their black color protected them in the dense shadows; 

 only when in motion could the form of the birds be made out, even though close 

 by. They were observed eating the fruit of the following: Icaco (Chrysoba- 

 lanus sp.), manzanillo (Hippomane manchinella) , pomarosa (Jambosa jambos), 

 and sapalo (Palicourea riparia). 



