DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF PARROT OF THE GENUS CHRYSOTIS, FROM THE ISLAND OF DOMINICA.

Chrysotis nichollsi.

By GEORGE N. LAWRENCE.

MALE?-The general color of the plumage is grass-green, darker above and on the breast and abdomen tinged with yellow; the feathers of the hind neck and back are bordered rather narrowly with black, those of the wing coverts are without the black borders; the feathers of the lower part of the throat, of the upper part of the breast, and of the sides of the neck change to verditer-green on a side view and are edged with black; the bases of some of the feathers of the breast and abdomen are dull red, and they are just perceptibly edged with black; the sides are dark green; the fore part of the head as far as upon a line with the anterior angle of the eye, lores, sides of the head, and the throat are of a medium shade of ultramarine-blue, lighter in color on the throat; in some lights the blue color has a grayish cast; the feathers of the top of the head are varied with bright green and azure blue and are narrowly bordered with black; the primaries have their inner webs black, the first primary is entirely black, the second and third have their outer webs dark blue for three-quarters their length, terminating with black, the other primaries have their outer webs green for most of their length, passing into dark blue for a short space, and ending with black; the extreme ends are narrowly margined with whitish ash; the wing speculum is of a bright scarlet red, occupying a space on the outer webs of the first three secondaries of about three inches; there is a small yellow mark where the red joins the terminal dark blue of these feathers, which have the outer webs green at their bases; the other secondaries have their outer webs green, with a subterminal blue spot, and ending with black; the fourth secondary has an elongated yellow mark on the middle of the outer web; all the secondaries have their inner webs black; the outer webs of the tertiaries are green, the inner are black with their ends green; the wing coverts are of the same color as the back, but the concealed portions of the inner webs of the greater coverts are black; the outer edge of the wing is dull light yellow; the quills underneath have the basal two-thirds of their length dull verditer-blue, the terminal portion is black; the under wing coverts are green; the first outer tail feather has the outer web dark blue for two-thirds its length, the terminal third is greenish yellow; the inner web is scarlet at the base for nearly half its length, which color is separated from the yellowish end by a space of dull green; the second, third, and fourth feathers differ from the first only in having the basal parts of their outer webs green; the central tail feathers are dark green, ending with dark yellowish green; upper tail coverts dark green, with their ends yellowish; the under tail coverts are yellowish green; the upper mandible is whitish

horn color, with the sides yellowish, the under is grayish-horn color, yellowish at the base; feet blackish.

Length (skin) from end of upper mandible over the culmen, 20 inches; from top of head, 18 inches; wing, 93; tail, 62; tarsus, 1.

Habitat.-Dominica, West Indies.

Type in National Museum, Washington, received from Dr. H. A. Alford Nicholls.

Dr. Nicholls sent a second specimen in spirits, which was made into a skin, and on dissection proved to be a female. It does not differ materially in plumage from the other specimen, the blue of the face only appearing a little duller. It is rather smaller; the bill and feet are weaker. From a comparison of the two I think the specimen specially described is a male.

This new species in some respects resembles C. cyanopis (Vieill.), said to be from the Antilles, but the precise locality not known, and C. bouqueti (Bechat), from St. Lucia, all having blue heads. The first, C. cyanopis, is described as having the face dark ultramarine-blue, but it dif fers from the new species more especially in the top of the head and the chin being dark blue, the throat and entire under surface wine-red, and the larger wing coverts dark indigo-blue, besides minor differences. In dimensions they are much the same.

I have a fine specimen of C. bouqueti before me belonging to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, and kindly loaned by Professor Allen. In this the blue is nearly of the same shade as in the new species; it is a little lighter in color on the front, but the blue does not extend so far down on the throat, the lower part of which is scarlet; the breast and abdomen are vinous red intermixed somewhat with green; the color above is a lighter green; the black borders to the feathers of the hind neck and back are broader; the colors generally are much brighter; it is a smaller species, with weaker feet and a blackish bill; it measures from the end of the upper mandible 16 inches, though the wings and tail fully equal in size those of C. nichollsi.

I have named this fine species as a well-merited compliment to Dr. Nicholls for his assiduous endeavors to supplement Mr. Ober's work in Dominica.

The specimens of Chrysotis were sent in March, 1879, with some other species, to Martinique, to be forwarded to the Smithsonian, but they remained there for about twelve months, and were not received in Wash. ington until May of this year. Dr. Nicholls wrote Professor Baird at that time concerning the parrot as follows:

"The 'Ciceru' (not 'Cicero') parrot.

"The bird was shot at Campbell, and was bought in the market, where it was exposed for sale as food. The feathers were off the neck when bought. Skin was firmly adherent to a thick layer of fat. The specimen is scarcely worth sending. I do so, however, as the feathers near the head are a different color to those of the Cicero parrot."

The other birds sent were as below, to which are added Dr. Nicholls's notes:

1. EUPHONIA FLAVIFRONS (Sparm.).

"Bird caught at head of Roseau Valley; never seen in the island until lately. Feathers of breast curl up over the wings when the bird is at rest, and during sleep the bird is rolled up like a ball."

2. MYIADESTES GENIBARBIS, SW

"Sifflem montagne."

3. ELAINEA MARTINICA (Linn.).

"Caught in Roseau; white feathers on head very conspicuous when bird at rest."

4. EREUNETES PETRIFICATUS (Ill.).

"Bécass;' common at the mouths of the rivers during the hurricane months."

5. CHARADRIUS VIRGINICUs, Borkh.

""Oiseau marine.' Shot in plowed land near to Roseau in November, 1878."

6. TRINGA MACULATA, Vieill.

"Bat-ma.' Caught in December, 1878, near to the mouth of the Roseau River."

Professor Baird has lately received from Dr. Nicholls a letter, dated 25th May, 1880, with another consignment of birds, of which I give the names and the notes of Dr. Nicholls thereon:

1. CHRYSOTIS NICHOLLSI, Lawr.

"The green parrot which I have been so long trying to obtain. It is now scarce and is seldom seen away from the deepest woods of the widest part of the island. It builds its nest in the forks of the highest forest trees, and it is usually seen in flocks. It is called by the natives 'perroquet,' which is simply French for parrot. As an example of the difficulty in obtaining this parrot I may mention that although I offered a good reward for a dead specimen I failed to get one. The specimen now sent was shot by a friend of mine; it was evidently a bird which had strayed from a flock."

Dr. Nicholls says of it in his letter: "It may possibly turn out to be the 'green parrot' which Mr. Ober failed to obtain."

I infer from the above that Dr. Nicholls considered this to be different from those sent a year ago, as in his letter of that date he says: "I am sorry to say that I have been unable to obtain specimens of the green parrot, but I hope to be successful before long."

This specimen, however, only differs from the type of C. nichollsi in being smaller, with a weaker bill, which is quite dusky in color.

Dr. Nicholls may be correct in his suggestion that it is the "parrot” No. 33 of the Dominica catalogue. If so, Mr. Ober must have been misled, as to its size, which he states to have been that of the Carolina parrot.

2. NYCTIARDEA VIOLACEA (Linn.).

"Crabier montagne. Caught in a dark ravine in the mountains near Roseau and brought to me alive. I kept it for more than a week, feeding it on eray-fish and land-crabs, which it devoured with avidity. It died suddenly."

3. CHARADRIUS VIRGINICUS, Borkh.

"Golden plover. Shot on sea-beach."

4. ANOUS STOLIDUS (Linn.).

"Twa-oo. Brought to me alive when very young and I kept it alive for nearly a year, when it was choked by a careless child. It became very tame. It used to fly on to the roof of my house and bathe in a duckpond in the garden. I gave it fish cut into small pieces."

5. STRIX FLAMMEA var NIGRESCENS, Lawr.

"Owl. It is, I think, different in plumage and certainly smaller than one I had some years ago. This bird was caught in the town of Roseau and brought to me. I kept it alive for several weeks, when it died suddenly. It woke up usually just before dark and then partook of its meal of five or six small lizards or a mouse. On introducing a live lizard into its cage it darted down upon it with great quickness; it seemed to be more of a spring and a drop than anything else; it then held the animal in its claw for a minute or so and regarded it intently, then with its sharp beak it divided the spinal column just behind the head. This occurred once and again, and it would thus appear that the owl is endued with the instinct of the easiest and surest way of killing its prey. The lizard when dead was seized by the head, and by a series of jerks or turnings up of the head the owl actually threw it down its throat. If the lizard was rather large the owl would rest for a while with the tail of the reptile hanging out of its mouth."

I think this specimen is a male; the larger one spoken of was prob ably a female.

6. TRINGA MINUTILLA, Vieill.

"Bécass.' Caught near to the mouth of Roseau River."

NEW YORK, June 15, 1880.

THE EULACHON OR CANDLE-FISH OF THE NORTHWEST COAST.

By JAMES G. SWAN.

This paper I have prepared from my own notes made during a cruise on the United States revenue-steamer Oliver Wolcott to Alaska, during the summer of 1873, as special commissioner to procure articles of Indian manufacture for the National Museum, to be exhibited at the Centennial celebration at Philadelphia, and from information derived from Mr. Robert Tomlinson, clerk to Kincoleth Mission, Nass River, British Columbia; from Mr. Charles F. Morrison, chief trader Hudson's Bay Proc. Nat. Mus. 80-17 Sept. 15, 1880.

Company, at Fort Simpson, British Columbia; and from reports of Rev. Mr. Duncan, of Metlakatla Mission, British Columbia, made to the Church Missionary Society, at London, and to Messrs. Langley & Co., Victoria, to whom I am indebted for the copy of Professor Redwood's report, which I give entire. The description of the Eulachon by Sir John Richardson is, I believe, the earliest, and but little can be added to it. As I have no copy of his works at hand I cannot give his description, which I regret.

JAMES G. SWAN.

NEAH BAY, Clallam County, Wash., January 31, 1880.

This fish, known to scientists as the Thaleichthys pacificus, and also as Osmerus pacificus, resembles the common smelt in size and general outward appearance, and is found on Puget Sound occasionally with the sand-smelt Hypomesus olidus.

The Eulachon, however, differs from all other varieties of the smelt family by having its entire body permeated with a peculiar fat, which, on being extracted, is of the consistence and color of soft lard, and is used largely by the natives as an article of food.

By a rectifying and deodorizing process, Messrs. Langley & Co., chemists, of Victoria, British Columbia, have succeeded in preparing an oil which appears to possess the remedial qualities of cod-liver oil in a remarkable degree, and is more agreeable to both palate and stomach. The quantity of this fatty substance is so considerable that when the fish is dried it can be set on fire like a torch and will consume its whole length like a candle, from which fact its common name of "Candle-fish" is derived. This adipose matter when first extracted, even when fresh caught, has a strong, disagreeable odor and a peculiar taste which is very unpalatable to most white persons. The fresh fish, however, has no unpleasant smell about it. It has somewhat of the same cucumber odor as the smelt, or rather an odor which resembles that of the bruised leaves of the wild syringa, Philadelphus L., which is a somewhat common shrub on the shores of Puget Sound and other portions of the northwest coast. When fried, like the smelt it is a most delicious pan-fish, or even when simply boiled, as the natives usually cook it, or toasted on a stick before the fire, it is most excellent and nutritious food.

The Eulachon are found in limited numbers at certain seasons in the Columbia River, Shoal-water Bay, Gray's Harbor, and at the mouth of the various small streams of the coast, and also in the waters of Puget Sound, where they are taken in seines and nets with smelt and other varieties of small fish, but they are thin and poor, and not to be com pared to the same varieties further north. Even those taken in Fraser's River, near the boundary line between Washington Territory and British Columbia, are superior to those taken further south, and are sold in the Victoria market, where their excellence is highly prized. The few secured on Puget Scund are sold by the fishermen as smelts. The best