Editorial. 
are an excellent species for aviculturists to experiment with and grand 
subject for the garden aviary during the summer months. The native 
name is Orange Quit, it is also known as the Feather-tongue or Sour- 
sop bird. It is very abundant in the orange groves when the fruit is 
ripe. General colouration : Deep blue (not irridescent), with throat 
of a deep rich rufous hue. The female is principally greenish-grey 
and olive brown, with ashy under surface. Total length, 5^ in., tail 
2i in." 
Blue Quits [I'Juphon'm Jamaica). A pair of this interesting 
species — called by Lath the Grey Grosbeak — has come to hand, and I 
think this also is new to aviculture. It is of a stout build, having but 
a short tail, which forms barely a third of its total length, 4^ in. It is 
Tit-like in its demeanour to the extent that when foraging for food, no 
position comes amiss to it and is most interesting to watch when so 
engaged. 
Male : Upper surface glossy slaty-blue, washed with green on 
the rump ; quills blackish-blue ; throat, breast and sides of body pahsh 
grey ; remainder of under surface yellow ; under tail coverts white. 
Female: Similar to the male but duller and without any yellow 
on the undersurface ; the upper tail coverts are yellowish-green. The 
consignment also includes quite a large number of doves, including 
several interesting species, one of which I think is new to aviculture, 
viz., the ring-tailed pigeon {Uolumba carribea), tiie following descrip- 
tion is from Goss's " Birds of Jamaica " : 
" Length IG in., tail 5f in. Jrides, briUiant orange ; orbits, carmine ; 
'■ beak, black ; feet coral-red. Crown, sides of head and fore-neck, obscure 
" reddish-purple ; throat white. Back of neck splendid purplish-green ; back, 
" rump, thighs, and parts beneath the wings, pale blue. Basal half of tail 
■■ pale blue, gradually mei'ging into a blackish blue bar nearly an inch broad, 
■■ which crosses the feathers ; thence to the tip greyish-blue. Wing quills 
■■ blackish-brown, the first five edged with white ; coverts towards the back, 
'■ and the pinion [winglet VJ dull olive ; the rest of a very dull blue. Breast 
" and belly dull reddish-brown. Weight lUoz. 2dr. — (Robinson, M.S.S., ii, 
" 144, abridged)." 
The other specimens coming to hand are White-wing Doves 
[Turtar Leueopterus) ; Pea Doves {Zenaida amabilis) also known as 
the Zenaida Pigeon ; Bald-pate {Goliirnha leudocephala), best known 
in this country as tlie White-crown etl Pigeon ; White-bellied Pigeon 
(Peristera jamaiceyisis), a very beautiful species ; Ground Doves 
{Chamtepelia passerina) ; Partridge Dove (Geotr-ygon montana). ShaU 
hope to refer to some of these species again in a later issue, i expect 
before these lines are in print another consignment will have arrived. 
