258 Forestry Quarterly. 



Mosquitoes and gnats were in existence, but, especially in the 

 higher altitudes, by no means the pests as which we know them in 

 Northern woods. At the shore a tiny black gnat, almost invisible, is 

 rather persistent and annoying, and near the stables or houses fleas 

 are said to be plentiful. Altogether there were no extraordinary 

 pests found. A single scorpion was seen, dug out of decaj^ing wood, 

 and the total absence of flies was notable. Perhaps the large num- 

 ber of lizards and chameleons accounts for this absence of annoying 

 insect life. Snakes of various descriptions were frequently seen. 

 None of them are poisonous, and the natives never bothered to kill 

 them. Ants, forming curious, brown, large nests, kept themselves 

 singularly unobtrusive, while bees fill their wabs full of the finest 

 flavored honey, and apparently give it up willingly to the natives, 

 who handle them without circumstance. 



Of larger game, deer with black horns, not of large size, was 

 seen, and wild boar, that is of the same wildness as our razor backs, 

 were evidenced by many trails and wallows. 



Bear is said to be in existence, but no traces were seen. 



The most curious feature of low life in the woods are the land 

 crabs, living in larger or smaller colonies, burrowing in the ground 

 mostly near the seashore, but also on the slopes. 



The game, the honey, the medicinal resins, etc., lead the hunter 

 and the collector into these vast woods, and since travel on the ridges 

 is easiest, we find trails even on the high ISIaestra, made b}^ boar or 

 men, which need only small work of the machete to render them 

 passable. 



There would be no unsurmountable obstacles to explore the entire 

 range up to the highest peak, El Turquino, and interesting botanical 

 discoveries would be assured. Iron, copper, and argentiferous lead 

 have been found, and scenically, this range deserves the name of the 

 Switzerland of Cuba. 



B. E. Fernow. 



