6658 



Birds. 



being the most recent, must be suppressed. He also mentioned that Sophronica, Dej. % 

 was synonymous with Dasyo, and that his Pachypeza implex appeared to be the 

 Cacostola leucophaea of the same author. 



Mr. Smith read some notes on the economy of the Ichneumons constituting the 

 genus Pezoinachus of Gravenhorst, with observations on Pezomachus fasciatus. 



Mr. Waterhouse read two papers, intituled "Notes on the British Species of 

 Donacia," and " Notes on the British Species of Cissidse." 



Part 2 of the current volume of the Society's ' Transactions ' was on the table. 

 —E. S. 



Notes on the Mountain Birds of Jamaica. 

 By W. Osburn, Esq.* 



"Freeman's Hall, Jamaica, 

 "June 7, 1859. 



"My dear Sir, — It may be as well to preface my remarks on the 

 mountain birds of Jamaica by defining briefly what I understand by 

 mountains. The centre of this portion of the island is occupied by 

 what may be termed the central ridge ; but in truth it is a series of 

 ridges, succeeding each other so constantly that in crossing it is dif- 

 ficult to say when the highest point is reached. However, regarding 

 them as a whole, the summit of the chain may generally be recog- 

 nised, as far as my observations go, by the greater tendency of the 

 limestone to spread into clay-covered flats, often interrupted by 

 gullies, but which still render the forest which shrouds them much 

 more accessible than it is among the ridges and 4 cock-pits' which 

 furrow in every direction both the northern and southern slopes. 

 The red conglomerate here constantly appears from beneath the 

 limestone, as is the case in the little valley which includes the 

 pastures round this house. I have, unfortunately, no means of ascer- 

 taining the exact height of any point in this immediate neighbour- 

 hood ; but we may, I think, attain to an approximation. On my last 

 journey across the island I ascended the Bull's Head, a lofty point of 

 the red conglomerate, near the boundaries of Clarendon and St. Ann's. 

 The view from the summit was magnificent over the sugar-estates and 

 hills of Clarendon and Vere, and far out to sea beyond Old Harbour, 

 and eastward over St. John's to the Blue Mountains, and westward 

 along the flanks of the many ridges of Manchester and St. Eliza- 

 beth's. But the lofty, unbroken ridges of Trelawny and St. Ann's 

 prevented any very extensive prospect northward, so that it was 



* Communicated by P. H. Gosse, Esq., F.R.S. 



