﻿338 On the Birds of Aruba, Curasao, and Bonaire. 



dromus savannarum*, and Eupsychortyx cristatusf. These 

 facts are very interesting and should be studied more 

 thoroughly : they seem to point to the theory that the 

 Virgin Islands and the islands of Bonaire and Curasao J were 

 formerly connected in some way, or that they are of the 

 same geological age, and not of the same age as the Wind- 

 ward Islands. Perhaps there was once a line of islands 

 (similar to that of the Lesser Antilles) reaching from 

 St. Thomas through ' '■ Los Aves," or the Bird Island, by 

 way of Blanca, Orchilla, Grand Cay, Los Roques, and 

 the second group called " Los Aves/' to Bonaire and 

 Curasao. 



(3) The avifaunas of the three islands are generally very 

 similar, but some interesting differences are obvious. Bonaire 

 has most species of West-Indian origin, while Aruba has 

 most continental forms, as would be expected from their 

 situation. 



(4) The facts brought to light through my little collection 

 should induce ornithologists to explore the other small 

 islands on the Venezuelan coast, such as Grand Cay, Orchilla, 

 Blanca, and Margarita. 



* Ammodromus savannarum is not found in the Lesser Antilles, but 

 occurs in Porto Rico, "very near to St. Thomas. See Cory, Cat. W. Tnd. B. 

 p. 112. 



t It is said that, although E. sonninii occurs on St. Thomas, it has been 

 introduced from Venezuela (cf. Cassin, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1860, 

 p. 378 ; Newton, Ibis, 1860, p. 308 ; and Berl. J. f. O. 1892, p. 100). If 

 this is correct, no weight should be attached to the occurrence of a 

 different species (JS. cristatus) in the Curacao group. 



X To Aruba these species may have been brought by the trade-wind 

 from the other two islands. 



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