﻿292 Mr. E. Hartert on the Birds of 



Christoffel, and also on Aruba and Bonaire, which must 

 sometimes be filled with water. 



The spring at Hato on Curacao is the only known habitat 

 of a little fish (Poscilia vandepolli). Of water-beetles I 

 caught examples of several species on Curacao and Bonaire. 

 Mammals are very scarce; I found only one species of Bat, 

 and the European Rat and Common Mouse. A species of 

 Hare is common on Aruba and Curacao, but is not found 

 on Bonaire. The Venezuelan Deer has been introduced in 

 Curacao, and a gTeat number of goats run all over the 

 islands, and, no doubt, do much harm to the vegetation. 



Bird-life is abundant, and there are many species that 

 could not be more numerous anywhere. Breeding-places of 

 sea-birds are found only on Aruba and Bonaire, and they 

 are not very extensive, but enormous numbers of sea-birds 

 breed on " Los Aves," east of Bonaire, and "The Monks/'' 

 west of Aruba. Now and then boats go there and bring large 

 quantities of eggs to Curacao for sale as food. Unfortunately 

 I was too late, so I was told, for the egg-season, and there- 

 fore I did not visit those uninhabited rocks, thinking that the 

 results, at that time of the year, would not be sufficient to 

 repay the costs and hardships of such a trip in one of the 

 fishing-boats, but I should advise future explorers to go 

 there at the proper time. 



The trade- wind blows over the islands almost incessantly, 

 with more or less vigour, and on exposed parts all the trees 

 lie over to the westward, presenting a peculiarly stormy 

 appearance. The strong wind is, perhaps, one of the chief 

 reasons why insect-life is so scarce. Reptiles, however, are 

 very numerous, but not many species occur. Bird -life, too, 

 is influenced by the wind, for birds are more numerous in 

 places where the trade-wind does not penetrate, while on 

 exposed plateaus they are very scarce as a rule. 



On Curacao I collected for three weeks altogether, and 

 visited many places in all parts of the island, staying 10 days 

 at Savonet at the foot of the Christoffel, ascending to the 

 top of this mountain, staying at Willemstad, Beekenburg, 

 and Hato, and exploring the country round these places. 

 [4] 



