No. 461.] WEST INDIAN WHITEBAIT. 337 
the migratory shore birds from the north are making their brief 
stay in these islands, and certain species appear to feed largely 
on these fishes. On the Richmond River in St. Vincent, where, 
on account of the lack of vegetation, consequent on the late 
eruptions of the Soufriere, birds may be readily observed, I 
found the following species feeding on the young tri-tri. Near 
the mouth were blue herons (Florida cerulea cerulescens), 
golden plover (Charadrius dominicus), turnstones (Arenaria 
interpres), willet (Symphemia semipalmata), greater yellow-legs 
(Totanus melanoleucus), lesser yellow-legs (7. flavipes), solitary 
sandpipers (Helodromas solitarius), spotted sandpipers (Actitis 
macularia), green herons (Butorides virescens maculata), and 
kingfishers (Ceryle alcyon). The solitary sandpipers followed 
the fish up into the lowlands at the base of the hills, the green 
herons and kingfishers to the edge of, and even just within the 
forests, while the spotted sandpipers are found well up into the 
mountains. About the mouth of the river I also observed white 
herons (Garzetta candidissima), great blue herons (Ardea hero- 
dias), and fish hawks (Pandion haliaétus carolinensis), probably 
attracted by the larger fish which were following the young tri- 
tri in from the sea, and which were abundant about the river's 
mouth. 
On reaching the pools at the higher altitudes the fish select 
some suitable spot and there remain until maturity, when they 
return to the sea to deposit their eggs. I was unable to ascer- 
tain just how long this period was. - 
During their ascent of the streams, numbers of the young are 
caught by the natives and eaten, either boiled (whole) or fried 
into cakes. Although when cooked they bear strong resem- 
blance to maggots, they are very good, tasting something like 
whitebait. : 
These fish, or a closely allied species, are abundant in certain 
streams in Grenada, but are not found on the Grenadines. 
Their local name is a corruption of that given them by the 
original Caribs. 
