A Holiday in the W est Indies. 
107 
by scores. They fly very fast and straight, but not to a great distance, 
and soon alight again, either on a tree, or the ground. 
I engaged some nigger boys to catch me some birds. They 
did bring me some, but when I learned that directly they catch a 
l)ird, whicii they do not kill, they pull out the wing and tail 
feathers, and break their legs to prevent escape (they brought many 
to me in this state), I at once stopped them catching on my 
behalf. 
The most beautiful Dove is the Mountain Witch {Geotrygon 
syluaticn.) It is a ground Dove, and after enquiries, I found it to 
be almost extinct, owing to the ravages of the Mongoose. An ex- 
pedition was dispatched to the Hills in search of this Dove, but 
without a single capture. 
However they were lucky enough to secure some Partridge 
Doves {Getrygon montana) which are also in danger of extinction, 
the hens are especially difficult to obtain. I secured four true pairs, 
all of which landed safely home, and are doing very well. Mr. 
MacKenzie informs me he had only been able to obtain five hens 
in as many years ; they are pretty birds. Male : Upper parts chest- 
nut, more or less flushed with a purple sheen, chiefly on neck and 
back ; breast purplish brown, softened to white on throat and 
chin ; a band of deep chestnut runs forward from the ear to the 
throat ; under parts and tail coverts buff white. Female ; Upper 
parts dark iridescent olive, a few of the feathers tipped with bay, 
head browner than in the male, primaries blackish, tail blackish, 
outer feathers tii)ped with white, throat whitish, breast and sides 
dusky, under parts reddish white. (Gosse.) 
{To he continued.) 
Birds in and about the Station (Bakloh, Punjab). 
By G. A. Perreau, F.Z S. 
(Continued from page 284, vol. viii.J 
In accordance with the idea of having a little system, I follow 
the order and nomenclature ot "The Fauna of British India— Birds," 
by Messrs. Blanfoid & Gates, an invaluable book to the Indian orni- 
thologist. I hope to be forgiven for mangling their descriptions. 
Text-book descriptions are necessarily lull of detail and are rather con- 
fusing without a good deal of practice in comparing them with skins 
or birds. Still one ought to have some s"rt of idea of the birds he is 
reading about. 
