on Birds of Paradise in the West Indies. 145


clays it got quite well again, so I set it free. While brushing the

woods to make roads I found the carcases of two male apodas.

They must have been dead about two or three mouths, and it is

my opinion that they were two weaker specimens which suc¬

cumbed to the boisterous weather we had here at the end of last

year. Some time after the birds were set free a male apoda came

into my tent in a weak condition. I took it up, put it in a cage

and gave it food and water. As it would not eat anything I gave

it a dose of castor oil, but it died over night. I cannot say what

was the cause of its death, there were no marks to indicate that

it had been fighting. These are all the losses I know of, I do

not think there are any more. I cannot keep account of the

birds respecting their number as the Island is very large and

covered with dense forest and thick bush. There are plenty of

hawks on Tittle Tobago, and, although I am destroying them as

fast as I can, there are always fresh ones coming over from the

larger Island, Tobago ; but I do not think they annoy the apodas ,

as I have never seen any attacked by hawks yet, nor found

remains of one killed by a bird of prey. There are plenty of

wild pigeons and fowl here the hawks feed on, and I should not

like to have all the wild fowl shot, as Mr. Frost suggested at

first.


There was no water on Tittle Tobago when I arrived, only

pools collected by rain, which dried up with the exception of one

place where a little pool of water could be found in the hollow

of a rock the whole year through. I cut the side of the said

hollow rock and placed a pipe there, leading the water into a

tub. I also covered the hollow with leaves and branches. In

consequence I have running water the whole year, not much, but

sufficient for my own and the birds’ wants. The water is fresh

aud wholesome.


The roads that were cut at the beginning of this year

enable me to keep good control over the Island. Nobody is

allowed to visit Tittle Tobago, and, with the exception of some

neighbouring gentlemen planters and a couple of higher Govern¬

ment officials who came and stayed an hour or so, nobody has

been here. I am planting cocoa-nut trees, and, with the ex¬

ception of a small patch of land which had been cultivated in



