VI PREFACE. 



in the way of discovery ; for which the curious reader 

 is referred to the Appendix, and to the various cat- 

 alogues of new birds discovered, published by the 

 National Museum. 



While around the borders of each island there is a 

 cleared belt of fertile land, sometimes densely popu- 

 lated, and on the coast are often large villages and 

 even cities, the interior is generally one vast forest, 

 covering hills and mountains so wild and forbidding 

 of aspect that few clearings are made in them save 

 the "provision grounds" of the negroes and Indians. 

 Many tourists and writers have visited these islands, 

 have stopped a while in the towns, have interviewed 

 the natives, and then have hastened off to England 

 or the States, and written books about them. Several 

 naturalists of note have likewise visited the shores 

 of these interesting isles, but, like the writers afore- 

 mentioned, have never penetrated beyond the line of 

 civilization. 



Conjecturing that the public have had enough of 

 descriptions at second hand, from writers who are 

 more ears than eyes, I have hastened away from 

 town and city, and sought an early opportunity for 

 taking my readers to the forest, where everything 

 reposes in nearly the same primitive simplicity and 

 freshness as when discovered by Columbus, nearly 

 four centuries ago. 



I took my camera with me, and whenever a new 

 bit of scenery presented itself, a beautiful tree, or cas- 



