Percy Rendall

“ Blinks turned his head just in time to see the winged bullet approaching; up went a feathered leg, a claw closed like a rat-trap, his mouth opened, and there was one gulp, and, quicker than one can write, this little Hummer's career was ended. ”

“ Squirrel.—In both Tobago and Trinidad the cocoa-planters employ a man to shoot these little animals, as they raid the trees and destroy an immense amount of cocoapods. Though they may in some cases destroy only the outer covering of the pods, they do the Woodpeckers and other birds a service in many cases, by making their work of destruction the more easy. They are sometimes kept in the ordinary Squirrel's cage, and I have seen them thriving in captivity in more than one instance.
Rhipidomys couesii. Tree Cocoa Rat.—This species I found very rare and difficult to secure. ”

“ They must be pugnacious in their habits, as both their ears and their tails are often found mutilated. The immature of this rodent shows very little difference in the length of the ears compared to the adult, and is in contrast with other small rodents belonging to kindred species. My friend Mr. R.R. Mole, of Trinidad, informs me that they are the chief food of the large water Pythons, and in their excreta he has found great quantities of their typical spiny bristles. I caught one of these rats in Tobago, in a tree a considerable distance from the Great Dog River ”

“ Though the flowers are different in shade and size, they are apparently both very melliferous, being equally patronized by these birds. There is a popular belief, as ill-grounded as most others, that Humming-birds never perch; this seems almost superfluous to contradict, but let me say that it is their constant practice (though they feed on the wing only, and may visit several trees for that purpose) to resort to a favourite perching-twig to rest in the intervals.
Chrysolampis mosquitus, Linn. "Ruby Topaz."—The commonest species in both Trinidad and Tobago ”

“ There is an old collection of birds in the Victoria Institute which comprises 356 separate species, made by the late Dr. Leotaud, and it includes fourteen different kinds of Humming Birds. The following birds I obtained:—
Lampornis violicauda, Bodd. "The Mango-hummer."—As with most other members of this family at the time of year I collected, the chief resort of this species was the "bois immortel" tree, which was then in flower. Two varieties of this tree have been imported, and it is extensively used as "shade" for young cocoa and nutmeg plantations. ”

“ A pair were seen digging their nesting site in a bank of earth in Savana Grande.
Actitis macularia, Linn. "Sandpiper."—Common on the shores of Trinidad and Tobago.
Myiadectes sibilans, Lawr. "The Souffrière Bird."—So retiring is this bird, which is found round the twin craters of St. Vincent, that I could obtain no description even of its colours. Not until an altitude of 4000 ft. is attained is its exquisite and varied flute-like whistle heard. It is so marvellously shy that I had to make two ascents before I obtained a specimen; it seemed almost to possess ventriloquistic powers. ”

“ Nyctibius jamaicensis, Gm. "Poor me One" Bird.—The cry of this large Nightjar used to be attributed to a Sloth which is found in Trinidad (Cholœpus didactylus) . It is a long-drawn chromatic whistle, with clear intervals between each note. This bird is far from common.
Pipra auricapilla, Briss. "Louis d'or."—This beautiful little bird was only met with on one occasion near Moruga, Trinidad.
Tanagra sclateri, Berlep.—Mention of this species must not be omitted, as it generally formed one of the crowd which frequented the flowers of the "immortel." It was specially abundant in Tobago. ”

“ They are very wary, and though I heard them, and constantly saw their fresh spoor, I never even once got a snap-shot, and I was perpetually on the alert to obtain a complete skin and skull. Very few are ever killed, as they simply scorn the mongrel dogs, who cannot live with them for even a mile, and generally refuse to take up their fresh trail. ”

“ Tucker returned to Iëre! The young birds have a barred throat and dirty white breast, as immature plumage.
Glaucis hirsuta, Gm. "Rachette."—This bird was very partial to the flowers of the balisiers which abound on the banks of streams and damp shady places. I took it both at Claxton's Bay in Trinidad and Tobago.
Agyrtria niveipectus, Cab. and Heine. "Gorge blanc."—Found both in the Caparo Valley and Savana Grande districts of Trinidad, but I did not observe it in Tobago. ”