3 77 
on the Birds of St. Croix. 
may possibly turn out to be the Porto-Rican Chi'ysotis vittata 
(Bodd.). Mr. Knox is aware that “ two species of Humming¬ 
birds visit the gardens,” and truly remarks that the “ Ground 
Hove/'' Chamcepelia trochila (No. 28), is plentiful. He also 
asserts that “the Green Pigeon (Columba Sancti Thomas [sic]), 
and several other varieties from Porto Rico, are often found,” 
and that “ Two species of hawk, the one much more numerous 
than the other, are frequently seen,” adding that “ they prey 
principally upon lizards,” which is certainly true as far as 
regards the common one, Tinnunculus sparverius (No. 3), as we 
have observed. The statement that “ The quail is very rare,” 
we are disposed to question, but not so that which follows: “A 
single species, the owl, equally rare.” At present, we are not 
aware what this last-mentioned bird may be, but we have hopes 
that Herr Riise will enable us to determine; it is even very 
possible that more than one species may occur *. Mr. Knox 
concludes his sketch as follows“ The tropical sea birds, 
especially the pelican and various species of gulls, visit the 
coast and harbour. A small sandpiper, ducks, plover, king¬ 
fisher, and green heron (Ardea viridus [sic]), are occasionally 
seen.” This last-mentioned bird is of course Butorides virescens 
(No. 46). 
We before mentioned that we had good reason to believe that 
some kind of Woodpecker was occasionally found in St. Croix; 
but we were unable to give any indication whereby the species, 
or even the genus, could be ascertained. Apotheker Riise has 
very recently transmitted to us a specimen of a Woodpecker 
obtained by a collector employed by him, in Bieque or Crab 
Island near Porto Rico, and pronounced by Mr. Sclater to be 
the Picus portoricensis of Daudin (Ann. du Mus. d’Hist. Nat. ii. 
p. 285), first discovered by Mauge (Ledru, Voyage, vol. ii. 
p. 258), which belongs to that peculiarly American genus, 
Melanerpes of Swainson. Melanerpes portoricensis may therefore 
very likely be the species that is found in St. Croix. Mr. Riise 
* “ Mr. Cassin of Philadelphia informed me, in September 1857, that 
the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences at that place contained 
a specimen of Scops portoricensis from St. Thomas ; but it escaped my 
memory to look for it in that magnificent collection.”—A. N. 
