2r)S A Holiday in the West Indies. 
Islands in the West Indies, it chases it on every ocoasion 
driving its little sharp beak into the lower ventral organ, and 
so persecuting the " John Crow," that he will go anywhere to 
shake ofT his pursuer. 
I caught three of the Starlings, by making a noose of 
cotton, and placing some corn on the ground, and when the 
birds stepped into the noose I pulled and so managed to 
secure two hens and a cock. 
The bathing at this Island was very fine, and one can 
see the sponges growing on the bottom. The niggers dive for 
these with a knive in their mouth, they cut the sponge off 
close by the rock, and then stick the knife in the top of the 
sponge in order to bring it to the surface, the knife being 
far too sharp to touch with the bare hand. I think if our 
readers notice they will find that nearly every sponge they 
purchase has a cut in the top, and this is the reason; the 
sponge is then buried in the sand to kill it, licfore curing. 
We now sailed for the Island of Trinidad, the avifauna 
of which is a very varied one, some of the most beautiful 
birds are found in this Island. I spent some enjoyable days 
watching them feeding, quarrelling and singing. The task of 
descriliing more than a very small percentage of thorn ,is 
quite beyond me. I may say in passing that the true Thrushes, 
Ant Thrushes, American Warblers, Grackles, Tyrants. Cotingas, 
Humming Birds, Mocking Birds, Kingfishers, Motmots, Trogons, 
Woodpeckers, Toucans, Jacamars, and many other desiral)le 
birds are found in great variety, I was primarily interested 
in those I intended to try to take home alive, such as Finches, 
Tanagers, Sugar Birds and the like. E.xcept at .Jamaica and 
Grenada where any open attempt to catch or l)uy birds was 
a very risky business, we did not make a sufficiently long 
halt to admit of my attempting trapping expeditions, and 
before I made any attempt here, I spent some time looking 
fo! tlic most likely places, and noting where liirds were 
feeling, and I can now quite un'lcrstaiid why partiriilar birds 
reach us in such quantities, for in .taiu'c the Violet Euphonia 
is fo:i;! of ])errie;, which grow on low bushes, and is ,in 
consequence easily limed. The Blue and Palm Tanagers can 
be seen in large numbers running woodpecker-like on the 
trunks of large trees covered with lichen or " old man's 
