former shy and retiring habits and has now become abundant 
even in the gardens and fruit trees in Roseau itself. A beautiful 
songster, yet it is also unfortunately an insatiable fruit destroyer. 
Vireo calidris, Linn. Caribbean Vireo. “ Cheweck 
tete-long.” 
Mr. Ober considered this bird a migrant only, as have subse- 
quent observers also. During the past year 1 have repeatedly 
found its nest and eggs and have observed it during every month 
of the year. It becomes very silent and retiring after the nesting 
season however and is seldom scen from June until April, except 
when particularly sought for. 
The nest is pensile and is beautifully constructed of soft 
fibre, hair and silk-votton and decorated with bits of moss, lichen 
and bark on the exterior. It is usually placed close to a road or 
path and is seldom more than ten or twelve feet above the earth. 
The eggs are three or four in number; creamy or buffy white, 
spotted,—and sometimes streaked,—with rich umber and black 
about the larger end. 
Setophaga ruticilla, Linn. American Redstart. 
“Tichat.” “ Chat.” 
Although this bird has always been considered merely a . 
migrant, | have, during the past year, observed redstarts during 
every month, and upon examination of a series taken during 
the spring and summer I am convineed that the residents are 
distinct from the migratory birds and are a yalid insular, sub- 
species, which I have described herein under the name of 
Setophaga ruticilla tropica. 
In connection with this matter the following note by Dr. 
H. A. Alford Nicholls will be of great interest and value :— 
‘© T have noticed two varieties of the Redstart for a number 
of years past and they are doubtless the trne American Redstart 
and the one you describe as indigenous. Vhe American Redstart 
has been observed by me on two occasions to arrive in flocks. 
On one occasion a flock of from 30 to 40 of these birds stayed in 
my garden in Roseau for a whole day and they entirely cleared 
away a scale insct that was then badly infesting my Rubiaceous 
plants.” 
