The  Savanah  or  Parrot-billed  Blackbird 
Crotophaga  ani,  Linn. 
Plate  XIV,  fig.  I 
Like  the  European  Cuckoo  (Cuculus  canorus)  this  bird  appears 
to  exercise  little  or  no  choice  in  the  selection  of  its  food ;  nauseous 
plant-bugs  being  eaten  apparently  just  as  freely  as  those  insects  which 
belong  to  the  edible  group.  Judging  from  observations  in  the  field 
one  gathers  that  this  bird  also  feeds  freely  upon  ticks,  though  not 
to  such  a  marked  extent,  as  has  already  been  pointed  out,  as  the 
Tinkling  {Q.  crassirostris).  The  writer  had  many  opportunities  of 
watching  these  birds  at  close  range,  as  a  brood  of  young  birds  was 
reared  in  close  proximity  to  the  bungalow  in  which  the  laboratory 
work  in  connection  with  the  expedition  was  conducted.  Seven  old 
birds  took  part  in  rearing  the  young,  and  on  several  occasions 
they  were  seen  to  take  ticks  (probably  Amblyo^nma  cajanense)  from 
the  heads  of  the  horses  which  were  grazing  hard  by.  Their  method 
of  procedure  was  to  walk  close  up  to  the  animal  while  grazing,  so  as 
to  be  able  to  reach  the  parasite  without  flying  at  the  animal’s  head. 
On  other  occasions  they  were  seen  inspecting  a  small  herd  of  cattle 
which  were  lying  at  rest  beneath  some  shade-trees.  Three  examples 
only  were  dissected,  and  the  contents  of  the  stomachs  are  here 
appended. 
Locality. — Stony  Hill,  St.  Andrew,  January  4,  1909. 
No.  I.  Contents  :  Almost  filled  with  portions  of  the  nests  (cells, 
larvae  and  pupae)  of  the  common  paper 
building  wasp  (Polistes  crinitd)  ;  there  were 
also  a  few  skins  of  moth  larvae ;  and  one 
spinose  skin  of  the  larva  of  a  Nymphalid 
butterfly. 
.  I  beautifully  coloured  beetle  (Homophoeta 
equinoctial  is,  Linn.)  of  the  Chrysomelid 
group,  having  a  yellow  thorax,  with  deep 
violet  wing-cases  bearing  eight  large  white 
spots. 
I  weevil  (Rhyncophorus  Coleoptera). 
3  specimens  of  the  pupal  stage  of  the  bright 
orange  red  '  Cotton  stainer  ’  (Dysdercus  sp.). 
