Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology 3 



I wish to express my indebtedness to Mr. Richard Muskus, of 

 Campo Knip, Curasao, whose hospitality I enjoyed for two 

 weeks, to Mr. Gravenhorst, of Kralendijk, Bonaire, who helped 

 me to find quarters on that island, and to Mr. and Mrs. de 

 Veer, of Oranjestad, Aruba. I also wish to thank the firm of 

 S. E. L. Maduro and Sons for their manj^ courtesies, and that 

 of John Godden and Co., for permission to visit the Tafelberg 

 of Santa Barbara. 



I am deeply indebted to Ir. G. J. H. Molengr^iaff, M.I., for 

 the meteorological data which are collated in Tables I, II and 

 III, and to Dr. N. L. Britton, who, through the kind mediation 

 of Mr. J. M. Fogg, identified some specimens of characteristic 

 plants. The identification and comparison of the molluscs col- 

 lected were made possible by the library and collections of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, where Dr. H. 

 A. Pilsbry and ]\Ir. E. G. Vanatta were, as always, very help- 

 ful. Drawings, photographs, and preparations of radulae, etc., 

 were made at the Zoological Laboratory of the University of 

 Pennsylvania. 



Environment 



The Dutch West Indies, or the Netherlands Colony of 

 Curasao, consist of islands in the northern Lesser Antilles, and 

 the ones studied in the Leeward Group. The island of 

 Curasao, from which the entire colony takes its name, is the 

 largest of the latter, and lies in the Caribbean Sea, 47 miles 

 north on the 69th west meridian from the coast of Venezuela, 

 and just north of 12° north latitude. The island of Aruba 

 is about 60 miles to the northwest ; it lies on the 70th west 

 meridian, approximately 20 miles north of the Paraguana 

 Peninsula, and around 12° 30' north latitude. Bonaire and 

 the closely associated island of Klein-Bonaire are about 30 

 miles east of Curasao, just northwest of 12° north latitude and 

 68° west longitude. Klein-Curasao is a small coral island 

 about 8 miles southeast of the southeastern end of Curasao, 

 at 12° north latitude and 68° 39.5' west longitude. 



The ocean bottom has not been mapped thoroughly in all 

 parts adjacent to the islands, but it seems quite certain that 



