MIGRANTS AND STRAGGLERS. 165 



further westward, in the Cura9ao group, we find a normally 

 coloured race {C. uropygialis), whose nearest allies are far 

 away in the islands of Martinique and Barbados. 



As regards the grey kingbird mentioned in our list, 

 we only met with this bird in our January visit, and there 

 is Uttle doubt that they were winter migrants from the 

 Greater Antilles. Gosse* relates that migratory flocks 

 of this bird leave the island of Jamaica by the end of 

 September and return regularly every April. On the 

 other hand, on January 6th, 1906, I saw a flock of at 

 least forty or fifty of this species, near a pool of 

 water, on the southern side of the island of St. Thomas. 

 There can be no question about the identity of the 

 species, because I shot and skinned one to make certain. 

 Possibly these birds were migrants from South Carolina 

 and Georgia. 



Two other migrants may be cited in the case of the 

 kingfisher and the great blue heron ; and it is interesting 

 to note, again, how much at home both these birds seem 

 to be in localities which are purely marine, and in which 

 there is no possibility of their procuring sustenance from 

 fresh water sources. Thus I have seen this kingfisher 

 in the Testigos, Blanquilla, Swan Island and the Cayman 

 Islands, none of which contain any permanent fresh 

 water streams, and where it is in the habit of fishing 

 regularly along the shores in salt water. 



On our first visit to the island, in April, 1906, we saw 

 several examples of another species of large tyrant-bird, 

 with bright yellow ulider-parts. Unfortunately, thinking 

 we should have time later in the day and that the bird 

 was common, we neglected to shoot any specimens for 

 identification ; but, as far as one can be certain of anything, 

 this bird was almost certainly the melancholy tyrant -f 

 {T. melancholieus). On two subsequent visits to the 



♦"Birds of Jamaica." 



tMr. Cory (Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Ornith. Series, Publication 

 No. 137, Oct. 1909, Vol. 1. No. 5) records one example of this species as 

 having been found on the Island of Curasao on May 1st, 1908. It had 

 not previously been recorded from the island. 



