367 
on the Birds of St. Croix. 
“ On March 29th, 1858, I saw some ducks on a lagoon 
which appeared to me to be of this species, but I was at too 
great a distance to be able to say much about them.”—E. N. 
53. [?] Dominican Duck. Erismatura dominica, Eyton. 
Anas dominica , L.; PI. Enl. 968. 
“ In 1857 a pretty large lagoon between the Green Quay 
and Southgate Farm Estates, at the eastern end of the island, 
was frequented by a small flock of what seemed to me to have 
been most likely this species. On March 9th I first saw some; 
but they were sitting motionless on the water, and, having only 
a small glass, I could make out nothing about them. But I had 
a good opportunity of seeing them one day in May; there were 
then a good many of them, perhaps twenty or twenty-five; they 
swam very low in the water: indeed it almost seemed as if the 
hinder part of their backs were beneath the surface ; and their 
tails stuck up perpendicularly at some little distance off, almost 
as though they had no connexion with the birds. On June 15th 
I all but succeeded in getting a shot at some five or six of these 
ducks, and had another good view of them. The lagoon on 
which I found them is nearly divided into two unequal portions 
by a low point which juts out from one side of it : about half¬ 
way along this spit of land I placed myself, squatting down 
among the mangroves, while I sent the lad who was with me 
round to the other side to try and drive thebirds within shot of me 
—they being then about the middle of this portion of the pond. 
He arrived at the spot X had pointed out opposite to me, and 
disposing his garments in graceful folds about his head and 
shoulders, walked into the water, which he found to be nowhere 
above four feet in depth. The Ducks thereupon ceased feeding, 
and collected together, but did not seem for a time ill-disposed to 
be driven my way, merely keeping some eighty yards in front of 
him, as he waded and they swam across. Suddenly they stopped, 
swam to-and-fro for an instant or two; and I felt sure they 
had divined my presence, probably by getting wind of me. In 
another moment they were up: away they went, flapping along 
the surface; and as they rounded the point towards the other 
part of the lagoon I lost sight of them. I still lay quiet, 
