1894
April 8-12
(No 2)
Trinidad, B.W.I.
Port-of-Spain
  I quite forgot one bird which I saw here
for the first time a Martin (Progne chalybea)
of which I noticed a large flock flying high, one
afternoon, over the Savanna. They looked & acted much like
our species but appeared to be light-colored beneath.

  Just after a shower one evening hundreds of
Tick Birds scattered about over the Savanna were
engaged in catching flying insects. Their manner of
accomplishing this was most peculiar and interesting.
They sprang from the ground directly upward to the
height of from one to three feet and then sailed
down to the ground again on a gentle decline. Both
wings and tail were wide-spread while the bird
was in the air but I could not see that the 
wings were flapped even during the upward spring.
The usual gait of the Tick Bird is a slow
walk not unlike that of our Quiscalus but more
clumsy and labored, the tail carried high very like
the Grackles. Not infrequently the bird will run
four or five yards, its body flattened close to the
ground, the tail carried low - a peculiar gliding
run which constantly reminded me of that of
a lizard. As a rule they are silent birds but
when once they begin calling they make a
great clamor.