156 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



of Pines, and later Mr. Bangs characterized a few additional forms 

 from the same collection. 



In December, 1908, Mr. Arthur C. Read, an enthusiastic amateur 

 ornithologist of Toledo, Ohio, went to the Isle of Pines, where he has 

 ever since resided. He soon began to send back notes for publication, 

 mainly to the Oologist of Albion, New York. Many of his articles are 

 merely lists of species seen at various times and places. Unfortunately, 

 however, in some instances Mr. Read's earlier identifications were erro- 

 neous, as is shown by the corrections which he himself makes. Some 

 of the records, which up to the present he has allowed to stand, appear 

 doubtful to the writer, and to have been admitted to his lists on 

 insufificient grounds. In reply to an inquiry addressed to Mr. Read 

 he writes that some of these records which seem open to question were 

 based on the actual capture of specimens, but that the specimens were 

 not in every case preserved; moreover, that he lost his entire collection 

 of skins in the flood and hurricane of 1910, and has not started a 

 ■new one since. This circumstance is very unfortunate, as it makes it 

 impossible to authenticate the correctness of his determinations in 

 cases of doubt. The list of a part of Mr. Read's collection, and a copy 

 ■of some of his field-notes, have been kindly loaned by him for exami- 

 nation, and have been freely used in the preparation of the present 



report. 



The Expedition of 1912-13. 



In May, 1910, a party of four from the staff of the Carnegie Museum 

 was engaged for a few weeks in making collections of the plants and 

 reptiles of the Isle of Pines. No particular attention was paid to the 

 birds on this expedition, but, as the island seemed to promise good 

 results for work in this line, Mr. Gustav A. Link of the taxidermic 

 staff of the museum was detailed in 1912 to undertake the making 

 of a representative collection of the birds of the island, and left in 

 June of that year, accompanied by his son, Mr. John Link, as assistant. 

 Beginning work at Nueva Gerona on June 26, he continued until July 

 12, when interference from the Cuban oflficials caused a suspension of 

 his activities for over two months. He then went to Los Indios, in 

 the southwestern part of the main island, which he made his head- 

 quarters until January 25, 1913, making in the meantime several trips 

 from there to points on Siguanea Bay and the " south coast." Los 

 Indios and its vicinity proved to be a much better collecting-ground 

 than the country about Nueva Gerona, this latter section being so 



