154 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



very rapidly, the thousand-fathom line lying only about seven miles 

 offshore. Unfortunately it was not possible to explore any of the 

 long stretch of coast-line between Caleta Cocodrilos and Punta del 

 Este (PI. XXV, fig. 2), which part is considered too dangerous for 

 small vessels to approach, and this remains, ornithologically speaking, 

 a terra mcognita which is bound to repay future investigation, judging 

 from the indications afforded by the western end. The Cuban Bull- 

 finch was not encountered elsewhere in the island, and the Cuban 

 Crow, Helena Hummingbird, and certain species of shore-birds were 

 also quite numerous. The islands in Siguanea Bay proved to be 

 favorite resorts for certain sea-birds, particularly one known locally 

 as " Bird Island," where is a large colony of Man-o'-war Birds and 

 Florida Cormorants. 



Climate. 



" The climate of the island is, of course, oceanic and quite equable. 

 [This is due to its comparatively small size, exposed position, and level 

 contour, without any high or extensive mountain ridges, such as exert 

 a modifying influence in Cuba, for example.] The latitude being but 

 about twenty-one degrees north, the extreme range of the thermometer 

 lies between about 50° and 100° F. The temperatures experienced 

 by the writer during his sojourn on the island in May, with the sun 

 exactly overhead at noon, were from 82° to 92° F. during the day, 

 while at night, temperatures as low as 70° F. were rarely experienced. 

 The temperature of the ocean water on the beaches was 8o°-82° F., 

 while a mineral spring at Santa Fe was said to register 88° F. The 

 well and spring waters, so far as tested, ranged generally from about 

 68° to 80° F. as they came from the ground. The island has a dry 

 season, with showers very rarely, from November to May, while 

 during the latter month, or about the first of June, there begins a wet 

 season, with torrential rains, which fill to the brim the sharply cut 

 channels of the rivers, and flood portions of the low-lying plains " 

 (Jennings, American Fern Journal, I, 191 1, 132). Hurricanes visit 

 the island at intervals, doing immense damage to buildings and crops. 

 The island is free from both yellow and malarial fevers, but the hordes 

 of insect-pests make life in the open almost unendurable, except to 

 those inured to such persecution, and are one of the causes for the 

 tardy development of its natural resources. Most of the land is in 

 the hands of companies of promoters, whose roseate representations 



