THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 7 



this same section is a completely enclosed depression 5 kilometers 

 long by 1 kilometer wide. The surface of the island is broken and 

 hilly, and very arid, with xerophytic thickets in places near the coast, 

 but broad open areas with only scattered trees in the interior. Man- 

 groves fringe many bays. Gonave is joined to the main island by a 

 shallow bank. There are several small islets near its eastern end, 

 among which may be mentioned Petite Gonave and lie Fregate. 



Tortue Island, off Port-de-Paix on the north coast of Haiti, is 37 

 kilometers long and has an average width of 5 kilometers. The in- 

 terior consists of a rolling plateau rising in low, rounded knobs to 

 325 meters above sea level. Much of the island is heavily wooded 

 though considerable areas have been cleared. The channel separating 

 Tortue from the main island is remarkable for its depth, this ranging 

 from 777 to 1,267 meters. 



On the Monte Cristi bank between Cap-Ha'itien and Monte Cristi 

 is a group of small islets known as the Sept Freres or the Siete 

 Hermanos. Monte Chico, Toruru, Muertos, Tercero, Ratas, and 

 Arenas are low and sandy, covered with grass and scattered shrubs. 

 Monte Grande, surrounded by reefs so that it is difficult of access, has 

 a growth of higher trees. Lizards abound and terns and other birds 

 resort to these Seven Brothers Islands to breed. 



Elsewhere along the coasts of Hispaniola there are various other 

 islets of small size concerning which little is known and which need 

 not be enumerated here, except to state that there are a number along 

 the northern shore of the Samana Peninsula. 



The small island of Navassa according to Dr. K. P. Schmidt 2 in 

 " its topography recalls that of Mona Island, in the passage between 

 Santo Domingo and Porto Rico, at least in its sheer sea cliff. It dif- 

 fers from Mona Island chiefly in the fact that there is a broad terrace 

 at the top of the sea cliff, with a rising mound in the center. * * * 

 The island is arid, and the vegetation scanty. * * * The surface 

 rock is as rough as that of Mona, or the ' diente perro ' country of 

 Cuba described by Barbour." 



HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF ORNITHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



The record of ornithological observations in Hispaniola begins 

 with the period of discovery and includes the names of many trav- 

 elers. According to G. Brown Goode 3 " Columbus was charged by 

 Queen Isabella to collect birds, and it is recorded that he took back 

 to Spain various skins of beasts." Whether he secured specimens 

 during his sojourn in Hispaniola is not certain but it is related that in 



2 Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 44, Dec. 23, 1921, p. 555. 

 »Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 3, 1886, p. 63. 



