No. 5. — The Vertehrata of Gorgona Island^ Colombia} 



CONTEXTS. 



Page 



I. Introduction. By Outram Bangs 87 



II. Physical Aspect and Climate , Fauna. By Wilmot W. Brown, Jr. . . 88 



III. Mammalia. By Outram Bangs 89 



IV. .Aves. By John E. Thayer and Outram Bangs 91 



V. Reptilia and Amphibia. By Thomas Barbour 98 



I. Introduction. By Outram Bangs. 



In February, 1904, John E. Thayer, Esq., equipped and put into the 

 field the well-known zoological collector, Mr. Wilmot W. Brown, Jr. 

 Some Uttle-kuown regions in Panama and northern South America were 

 selected for the season's work. 



One of the places visited was Gorgona Island. The biota of this 

 island is practically unknown ; so far as I can find out the island has 

 never been visited by a naturalist, though Captain Kellett and Lieutenant 

 "Wood apparently stopped there many years ago on their way to the 

 Galapagos. The Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum (Vol. 11, 

 p. 215) mentions a tanager, Tacliyphonus delattrii Lafr., taken on Gor- 

 gona by these officers. 



From its isolated position and its unlikeness to the adjacent main- 

 land it was anticipated that Gorgona would prove a most interesting 

 field. The results, however, are disappointing, for although many of 

 the reptiles, birds, and mammals are very pecuhar, the conditions that 

 prevail seem singularly unsuited to support a rich and varied vertebrate 

 fauna. 



Mr. Brown remained upon the island about two weeks, June 19 to 

 July 2, 1904. 



A word as to the disposition of the specimens. The mammals, rep- 

 tiles, amphibians, and fishes !Mr. Thayer presents to the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology. Of the birds Mr: Thayer retains for his museum 

 at Lancaster, Mass., those that particularly interest him, chiefly North 

 American migrants; a small series of each species he has kindly given 



1 Papers from the John E. Thayer Expedition of 1904, No. 1. 



