44 



THE OOLOUlS'l 



But ihe Diiture of ;i iurge number of 

 varieties here is utterly incompatible 

 with the rapid advance of crowded 

 population. Such inevitably shuti the 

 haunts of man and it is with very nat- 

 ural regret that we observe their ap- 

 proaching doom. A high state of civ- 

 ilization and opulence of wild life are 

 plainly autagonisiic and only those spe- 

 cies of birds and animals that possess 

 or acquire something of the domestic 

 spirit of the English Sparrrow can hope 

 to survive the inexorable advance of 

 man. We would not stay his progress 

 if we could. All elsejiu nature must 

 rightfully pay tribute lo him and make 

 way for his certain monopoly of oppor- 

 tunity. 



But alas for our favorite creatures on 

 the wing! Eugene S. Rolfe. 



Miauewaukan, No. Dak. 



From Trinidad. 



Thinking perhaps your readers would 

 like to hear from a lover of Nature who 

 is wandering in the tropics, but who 

 belongs iu the Northern States, and 

 with regard lo birds familiar lo many 

 of your readers, 1 send you the 

 few following lines relative to three 

 birds very common here, two of which 

 at least are well known in our Southern 

 States. 



Almost the first bird to challenge my 

 attention as we came into the tropical 

 /one was the Frigate Bird, that bird of 

 enduring flight. At first 1 saw but few, 

 but soon after entering upon the blue 

 waters of the Carribean Sea, many of 

 these birds came near our steamer. 

 Here on the Gulf of Paria they can be 

 t>een almost any day. Sometimes many 

 will be seen in the air at the same mo- 

 ment, crossing each others track iu 

 graceful interosculaiing circles. 



Another and a much iiiore familiar 

 bird is the Brown Pelican. They are 



extremely plentiftd, and at all times of 

 the day can ln' i-eeii standing un the 

 bars at the moulli of the Caroni liiver, 

 or lining over the bay v\ iih alternate 

 lumbering Hap mid sail of their broad 

 wings, now and then pausing iu their 

 llight tt( ^trlk^! sume ti.<h which their 

 shaip eyes espied near the s-urface. 

 They appear ridicidous as they turn a 

 complete sumer^ault on ttiikiug Ihe 

 water. Clumsy as they are thty usually 

 get their tish 1 thought that 1 had 

 seeu the Brown Pelican iu great lumi- 

 bers ou tcie Gulf coast, and I u.-ually 

 did see many there, but here theie are 

 so many more thut those I saw farther 

 noi'th now seem few. 



One of the uio.^t n(>liceal)ie birds heie 

 o:i the Islaiid, that is, the oi.e that will 

 attract the most atleuliou from the 

 visitor to Port of Spam, is the Black 

 \ulture or (Jarrion Crow. They are 

 everywhere present, iu the streets and 

 on the house tops. In [lassiug along 

 the walks 1 have pushed them aside 

 with my foot. But they aie a wise bird 

 and usually keep ju.-t beyond jour 

 reach. Sometimes, though they are so 

 interested iu their seal ch for food that 

 the pedestrian has to take it upon him- 

 self to avoid them. Here they are even 

 more nearly domesticated than in. 

 Southern Louisiana. Jt is no uncom- 

 mon sight to see a.dozeu of ihese birds 

 racing down a street, going under carts 

 and between the legs of the patieLt lit- 

 tle donkeys, keeping up their ludicrous 

 gait of hop aud jump for a half block or 

 more. The small boy iloes not stem to 

 trouble the Vulture here, aud as they 

 are protected by law they live aud grow 

 fat ou the refuse of the city 



Perhaps 1 can forwant some few 

 notes from the east bank of the Orinoco 

 in the "disputed territory," where I 

 shall spend some weeks or perhaps 

 months iu the inteiest of Oiniihology. 

 Leslie O Dakt. 

 Port of Spain, Trinidad. 

 March 21, leiilj. 



