The Birds of Jamaica

Part 1

Transcriber’s Note: See also the companion book “Illustrations of the Birds of Jamaica”

THE BIRDS OF JAMAICA.

BY PHILIP HENRY GOSSE;

ASSISTED BY RICHARD HILL, ESQ., OF SPANISH-TOWN.

LONDON: JOHN VAN VOORST, PATERNOSTER ROW. M.DCCC.XLVII.

LONDON: Printed by +S. & J. Bentley+, +Wilson+, and +Fley+, Bangor House, Shoe Lane.

PREFACE.

White of Selbourne has somewhere expressed the gratification which would be afforded to him by a sight of the hirundines of the “hot and distant island” of Jamaica. We know, in fact, exceedingly little of the biography of tropical animals—of those details of their habits, which are to be known only by a close and continued observation of them in their woodland homes. The present volume may perhaps contribute an acceptable item to the amount of information, derived, as it is, entirely from original investigation. Nearly two hundred species of birds are thus ascertained to belong to the Jamaica Fauna, though of several of these, the author can give only indications more or less precise. He cannot doubt that many species have escaped the researches both of himself and his friends, especially among the migrant visitors. The valuable assistance, however, of a resident Ornithologist, whose notes pervade this volume, and to whom he would here express his deep gratitude, have greatly diminished the omissions which must otherwise have been unavoidable.

Perhaps a word of apology may be thought needful for the minuteness with which the author has sometimes recorded dates, and other apparently trivial circumstances, in his observations. It is because of his conviction, that an observer is hardly competent to determine what circumstance is trivial, and what is important: many a recorded fact in science has lost half its value from the omission of some attendant circumstance, which the observer either did not notice, or thought irrelevant. It is better to err on the side of minuteness than of vagueness.

The author takes this opportunity of proffering his cordial thanks to those friends in Jamaica who kindly assisted his investigations; and particularly to Andrew G. Johnston, Esq., of Portland, and George Wilkie, Esq., of Spanish-town.

+London+, March, 1847.

SYNOPSIS OF THE BIRDS OF JAMAICA.

+Order.+—ACCIPITRES.

+Fam.+—VULTURIDÆ. Cathartes aura.

+Fam.+—FALCONIDÆ. Buteo borealis. Falco anatum. columbarius. [Morphnus urubitinga. [Pandion Carolinensis. [Nauclerus furcatus.

+Fam.+—STRIGIDÆ. Ephialtes grammicus. Strix pratincola.

+Order.+—PASSERES.

+Fam.+—CAPRIMULGIDÆ. Chordeiles Virginianus. Nyctibius Jamaicensis. pallidus.

+Fam.+—HIRUNDINIDÆ. Acanthylis collaris? Tachornis phœnicobia. Cypselus niger. Hirundo pœciloma. euchrysea. Progne Dominicensis.

+Fam.+—TODIDÆ. Todus viridis.

+Fam.+—ALCEDINIDÆ. Ceryle alcyon.

+Fam.+—NECTARINIADÆ. Certhiola flaveola. maritima.

+Fam.+—TROCHILIDÆ. Lampornis mango. Trochilus polytmus. Mellisuga humilis.

+Fam.+—CERTHIADÆ. Mniotilta varia.

+Fam.+—TURDIDÆ. Merula leucogenys. Jamaicensis. [Turdus mustelinus. Mimus polyglottus. Trichas Marylandica. Vermivora Pennsylvanica. Seiurus Noveboracensis. aurocapillus. Parula Americana. Sylvicola coronata. pensilis. æstiva. eoa. discolor. Canadensis. pannosa. pharetra.

+Fam.+—MUSCICAPADÆ. Setophaga ruticilla. Myiobius pallidus. tristis. stolidus. Tyrannus Dominicensis. caudifasciatus. crinitus. Tityra leuconotus. Vireo Noveboracensis. Vireosylva olivacea.

+Fam.+—AMPELIDÆ. [Ampelis Carolinensis. Ptilogonys armillatus.

+Fam.+—CORVIDÆ. Cyanocorax pileatus. Corvus Jamaicensis.

Part 2

+Fam.+—STURNIDÆ. Quiscalus crassirostria. Icterus leucopteryx. [ ——? [ ——? Dolichonyx oryzivorus.

+Fam.+—FRINGILLADÆ. Tanagra Zena. Pyranga rubra. Tanagrella ruficollis. Euphonia Jamaica. Coturniculus tixicrus. Crithagra Brasiliensis. Spermophila anoxantha. olivacea. bicolor. adoxa. Pyrrhula violacea. [ Robinsonii? [Guiraca Ludoviciana.

+Order.+—SCANSORES.

+Fam.+—PSITTACIDÆ. Ara tricolor? [ aracanga. [ ararauna. [ militaris. Conurus flaviventer. Psittacus agilis. leucocephalus.

+Fam.+—PICIDÆ. Picus varius. Centurus radiolatus.

+Fam.+—CUCULIDÆ. Saurothera vetula. Piaya pluvialis. Coccyzus Americanus. seniculus. Crotophaga ani.

+Order.+—GYRANTES.

+Fam.+—COLUMBADÆ. Columba Caribbea. rufina. leucocephala. Turtur leucopterus. Zenaida amabilis. Chamæpelia passerina. Peristera Jamaicensis. Geotrygon sylvatica. montana. Starnænas cyanocephala?

+Order.+—GALLINÆ.

+Fam.+—PHASIANIDÆ. Numida meleagris.

+Fam.+—TETRAONIDÆ. Ortyx Virginiana.

+Order.+—GRALLÆ.

+Fam.+—CHARADRIADÆ. Ægialites melodus. vociferus. [ semipalmatus. [Charadrius Virginiacus. [Squatarola Helvetica. [Strepsilas interpres.

+Fam.+—ARDEADÆ. Egretta nivea. candidissima. cœrulea. ruficollis. Herodias virescens. Ardeola exilis. Nycticorax Americanus. [Ardea Herodias. [Egretta leuce? [Botaurus minor. [Platalea ajaja. [Ibis rubra. [Numenius longirostris. [ Hudsonicus?

+Fam.+—SCOLOPACIDÆ. Pelidna pusilla. Actitis macularius. Totanus chloropygius. flavipes. melanoleucus? Gallinago Wilsoni. [Tringa canutus. [Calidris arenaria. [Catoptrophorus semipalmatus. [Rusticola minor.

+Fam.+—RALLIDÆ. Aramus scolopaceus. Rallus longirostris. concolor. Ortygometra Carolina. minuta. Jamaicensis. Porphyrio Martinica. Gallinula galeata. Fulica Americana.

+Fam.+—RECURVIROSTRADÆ. Himantopus nigricollis. [Recurvirostra Americana.

+Order.+—ANSERES.

+Fam.+—ANATIDÆ. Phœnicopterus ruber. Dendrocygna arborea. [ autumnalis. Anas maxima. Cyanopterus discors. inornatus. Erismatura spinosa. [ ortygoides. [Chen hyperboreus. [Anser Canadensis. [Dafila acuta. [Pœcilonetta Bahamensis. [Mareca Americana. [Aix sponsa. [Querquedula Carolinensis. [Rhynchaspis clypeata. [Chaulelasmus streperus. [Anas obscura. [ boschas. [Cairina moschata. [Oidemia perspicillata. [Fuligula Americana. [ affinis. [ rufitorques. [Nyroca leucophthalma.

+Fam.+—PELECANIDÆ. Pelecanus fuscus. Sula fusca. [ fiber. [ piscator. [ parva. Fregata aquilus. Phaeton æthereus.

+Fam.+—LARIDÆ. Thalasseus Cayanus. Hydrochelidon fuliginosa. [Megalopterus stolidus. [Thalasseus Cantiacus. [Sterna argentea. [Hydrochelidon nigra. [Xema atricilla.

+Fam.+—PROCELLARIADÆ. [Thalassidroma ——?

+Fam.+—ALCADÆ. [Alca ——?

+Fam.+—COLYMBIDÆ. Podilymbus Carolinensis? Podiceps Dominicus.

ERRATA.

Page Line 33, 2, for “Falcons,” read Nightjars. 64, 5, ” “pæciloma,” ” pœciloma. 113, 15, after “into,” ” our. 170, 19, for “On their return } {The migrant in spring, they,”} ” {visitors. 185, 8, ” “voltigant” ” voltigent. 286, 2, ” “and,” ” I.

THE BIRDS OF JAMAICA.

+Order.+—ACCIPITRES. (Birds of prey.) +Fam.+—VULTURIDÆ. (The Vultures.)

Part 3

JOHN-CROW VULTURE.

(Turkey-buzzard.—+Wilson.+)

Cathartes aura.

Vultur aura, +Linn.+ Cathartes aura, +Illiger+.—Aud. pl. 151.

Length 25¹⁄₂ inches, expanse 66, tail 9¹⁄₂, wing from flexure 20¹⁄₄, rictus 2²⁄₁₀, tarsus 3, middle toe 2¹⁄₁₀, claw ⁹⁄₁₀.

The history of this species has been so ably written by Wilson and Audubon, that I shall do little more than touch on one or two disputed points in its economy. An excellent memoir of this Vulture, communicated to me by my valued friend Richard Hill, Esq., of Spanish-town, affords some interesting particulars:—

“Notwithstanding it forms so common a feature in our landscapes, being seen every day and every where, on the mountain as well as in the plain, in the city as well as in the country, the Aura is not common to the West Indies. It exists in Cuba and Trinidad, but is unknown in Hayti, and in all the intermediate islands of the Caribbean chain. We are no doubt indebted for it to an accidental colony blown over to us from Cuba, and Cuba herself owes it to some stray visitants from the neighbouring continent of Florida. Some similar fortuity imparted to us in common with Cuba, from America, its naturalized hive-bee, which is said to have been, at comparatively a late period, an introduction into St. Domingo.

“Those who ascribe the power which the Vulture possesses of discerning from a distance its carrion food, to the sense of seeing or to the sense of smelling, exclusively, appear to me to be both in error. It is the two senses, exerted sometimes singly, but generally unitedly, which give the facility which it possesses of tracing its appropriate food from far distances. * * * * I shall relate one or two occurrences, which seem to me to be instances in which the sense of seeing and the sense of smelling were sometimes separately and sometimes unitedly exerted by the Vulture in its quest for food.

“A poor German immigrant who lived alone in a detached cottage in this town, rose from his bed after a two days’ confinement by fever, to purchase in the market some fresh meat for a little soup. Before he could do more than prepare the several ingredients of herbs and roots, and put his meat in water for the preparation of his pottage, the paroxysm of fever had returned, and he laid himself on his bed exhausted. Two days elapsed in this state of helplessness and inanition; by which time the mass of meat and pot-herbs had putrefied. The stench becoming very perceptible in the neighbourhood, Vulture after Vulture as they sailed past were observed always to descend to the cottage of the German, and to sweep round, as if they had tracked some putrid carcase, but failed to find exactly where it was. This led the neighbours to apprehend that the poor man lay dead in his cottage, as no one had seen him for the two days last past. His door was broken open; he was found in a state of helpless feebleness, but the room was most insufferably offensive from something putrefying, which could not immediately be found, for the fever having deprived the German of his wits, he had no recollection of his uncooked mess of meat and herbs. No one imagining that the kitchen pot could contain anything offensive, search was made everywhere but in the right place: at last the pot-lid was lifted, and the cause of the insupportable stench discovered in the corrupted soup-meat.

“Here we have the sense of smelling directing the Vultures, without any assistance from the sense of sight, and discovering unerringly the locality of the putrid animal matter, when even the neighbours were at fault in their patient search.

“Some few days succeeding this occurrence, after a night and morning of heavy rain, in which our streets had been inundated to the depth of a foot, and flood after flood had been sweeping to the river the drainage of the whole town,—a piece of recent offal had been brought down from some of the yards where an animal had been slaughtered, and lodged in the street. A Vulture beating about in search of food, dashed in a slanting direction from a considerable height, and just resting, without closing his wings, snatched up the fresh piece of flesh, and carried it off.

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