NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



691 



"Periquitos" {Conurus evops) are often 

 seen in these mountains, as also in 

 Oriente and other places. A number 

 of species of hawks are also abundant, 

 making poultry breeding very difficult. 

 The "Caos" (Cor mis 7ni7iulus and C. 

 nasic.us) are not rare in those moun- 

 tains. The "Iguana" (Cyclura cari- 

 natn), 4 to 5 ft. long, is found on the 

 south coast of the Island and in 

 the cays. 



The chief fresh water fishes, common 

 also in the other provinces are: the 

 "Viajaca," (Nandopsis telr acanthus), 

 the most common; the "Guabina" 

 {Phylipnus dormitator); the "Dajao" 

 (Dajaus sp.) and the "Joturo" {Jolurus 

 pichardi) which leap over the falls to 

 ascend the rivers; the Anquilla cubensis, 

 and the "Guajacones" of several genera: 

 Gambusia, Girardinus, Limia, Trifar- 

 cius, Rivulus. 



A number of species of lobsters, some 

 of them of a large size are fished up in 

 the mountain rivers. 



The Trinidad mountains are reached 

 from Cienfuegos by motor car; from the 

 Central Railroad by the Cumbre- 

 Trinidad branch; the Sancti Spiritus 

 mountains by this same line, and better 

 yet by the Zaza del Medio branch 

 through Sancti Spiritus. 



Camaguey 



This is a flat country with a longitu- 

 dinal zone of serpentine savannas in its 

 center. North and south of this zone 

 were, not long ago, extensive forests 

 which have been replaced, in the recent 

 years, by Sugar cane plantations. 

 These forests are much like those of the 

 plains westward, with the well known 

 following elements, which seem to be 

 predominant: Guazmna tomentosa, Bur- 

 sera simaruba, Pithecolobium arboreum, 

 Chrysophyllum oliviforme, Trichilia hirta 

 the "Yagruma hembra" (Cecropia pel- 

 lata); the "Yagruma macho" {Didymo- 

 panax morototoni); the "Palma Cana" 

 {Sabal florida^; and the spiny "Palma 

 Corojo" (Acrocomia crispa). 



The large cays of the north coast are 

 flat and mostly with a mangrove vege- 



tation; the travellers say that wild 

 horses and cattle roam in Cayo Romano. 

 The "Sinsonte prieto" (Mimus gundla- 

 chii) has been collected in those cays. 



To the south, the country is more 

 swampy. There can be found the rare 

 saurian Anolisfernandinae, as also Anolis 

 equeslris which is common throughout 

 the Island. 



The central zone of serpentine sa- 

 vannas, as to its flora, resembles closely 

 the same zone of Las Villas, of which 

 it is the prolongation. It is bordered 

 to the north by the limestone Sierra de 

 Cubitas chain, and to the south by the 

 Najasa chain of a similar formation; 

 they reach hardly altitudes of 1000 ft. 

 It is said that in that region, near 

 Chorrillo, a good number of yet upright 

 trunks of silicified trees are found; Ing 

 pieces of them have been brought to 

 Guanaliacoa about 40 years ago by the 

 Naruralist Father Pio Galtes, being 

 exhibited in the Escuelas Pias College 

 of that town. The north and south 

 coasts of Camaguey are connected by 

 the Mor6n-Jucaro branches, through 

 Ciego de Avila, and by the Nuevitas- 

 Santa Cruz del Sur branches through 

 Camaguey. The North Coast Railroad 

 connects Moron and Nuevitas. 



Northern Oriente 



There, landed Columbus and noted 

 among the mammals of the Island, the 

 "perro mudo" (dumb dog), which the 

 Cuban naturalist Felipe Poey says to be 

 the Procyon lotor or "Mapache" of 

 Mexico, the Racoon of Florida. After 

 the same author, the "Mohuy," of 

 Oviedo (Historia general de las Indias), 

 smaller than the "Jutias," and the most 

 exquisite dish, reserved to the Caciques, 

 could be the "Aguti" (Dasyprocta sp.); 

 the "Cori," our present "Curiel" (Cavia 

 cobaya), and the "Pilori" of French 

 authors, Mtis piloridcs F. Cuv. ; but 

 these indentifications of animals un- 

 known today in Cuba, are rather 

 uncertain. 



This region includes one of the three 

 mountain systems of Oriente, the 

 Maniab6n Range, a group of rather low. 



