Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 165 



next morning, at sunrise, found myself off the north coast of 

 Porto Eico, in sight of St. Juan, the capital, where the steamer 

 calls on its way to Jamaica. I remained a fortnight in Porto 

 Rico, enjoying the kind hospitality of Mr. George Latimer, one 

 of the principal inhabitants of the island. Porto Rico is the 

 fourth in point of size of the West Indian Islands, being very 

 little inferior to Jamaica in that respect, but far superior to it in 

 population, prosperity, wealth, and quantity and value of pro- 

 duce ; indeed, it is second to Cuba alone of West Indian colonies 

 in its annual exports of sugar. This satisfactory result may be 

 ascribed in a great measure to the institution of slavery, which 

 still obtains here. The greater portion of Porto Rico is pretty 

 level, and well adapted for the cultivation of the sugar-cane; 

 the centre of the island, however, is mountainous, the highest 

 part being the range called the Sierra de Luguillo, towards the 

 east end; even here, however, the elevation does not exceed 

 4000 feet. The scenery is in many parts exceedingly beautiful ; 

 it must be confessed, however, that in the size of its trees, the 

 extent of its forests, and the general luxuriance of its vegetation, 

 Porto Rico does not come up to Trinidad, nor, on the other 

 hand, does it equal in grandeur the magnificent mountain- 

 scenery of Dominica. St. Juan, the capital, is decidedly the best 

 and most city-like town I saw in the West Indies. St. Juan is 

 brilliautly lighted with gas, while St. Pierre, Martinique, and 

 St. Thomas are dimly lighted with oil; and Port of Spain, 

 Trinidad, is not lighted at all. In general appearance, in the 

 fashion of its houses and fortifications, but above all in situ- 

 ation, St. Juan is singularly like Cadiz, only not so large nor so 

 dilapidated. During my stay in Porto Rico, I spent three or four 

 days at a sugar-estate belonging to Mr. Latimer, situated on the 

 River Loisa, at a distance of about twenty-two miles to the east 

 of St. Juan, where I had the opportunity of observing the work- 

 ing of an estate by slave-labour. This estate (which is called 

 Punta) and its vicinity I found a very good locality for birds. 

 I also made several shorter excursions in all directions from the 

 capital. Porto Rico is much richer in birds generally than either 

 Martinique or Dominica, and it especially abounds in Pigeons 

 [Columbida). Humming-birds [Trochilidce) , on the contrary, I 



