FIELD-WORK IN PUERTO RICO 



By GERRIT S. MILLER, JR. 

 Curator, Division of Mammals, U. S. National Museum 



In the caves of Puerto Rico, as in those of the other large Antillean 

 Islands, bones have been found that prove the existence of an ancient 

 fauna of land mammals that has recently become nearly or quite 

 extinct. One member of this ancient fauna still exists in Jamaica 

 (the "coney," Gcocapromys), two are known in Hispaniola (the 

 " hutia," Plagiodontia, and the " almiqui," Solcnodon) and five in 

 Cuba (four kinds of hutia and an almiqui ). Others once lived on each 

 of the islands, and some of these now extinct animals were still being 

 eaten by the Indians with whom the first Spanish explorers came in 

 contact. On Hispaniola, the island nearest to Puerto Rico, at least four 

 different kinds are represented by bones found in heaps of refuse that 

 mark the sites of the Indian villages. One of these same creatures, 

 a hutia, has been found in the refuse heaps and in the caves of 

 Puerto Rico. Wishing to know whether any of the other members of 

 the old fauna continued to exist until the time when the Indians made 

 their settlements I visited Puerto Rico during March and April, IQ32. 



I examined Indian village sites in San Juan City, near Cayey, near 

 San German, and on Maguey Island off Parguera. These yielded many 

 bones, as well as many Indian artifacts of pottery, stone, and shell. 

 None of this material has yet been critically studied. 



In the districts east of San Juan and south and southwest of Are- 

 cibo I examined many caves, but without important results. During 

 the past decade most of the caves that are convenient of access have 

 had their floor earth systematically removed by the peasant land- 

 owners for use as fertilizer on fields and gardens. Such bones as may 

 have once existed have mostly disappeared with the earth. 



While at San German I made a small collection of samples of the 

 native woods, under the friendly guidance of Dr. N. L. Britton, who 

 made himself responsible for the identification of the trees from which 

 the specimens were taken. 



Reptiles and batrachians were collected as opportunity offered. 

 Among the frogs that I became acquainted with is a member of the 

 treefrog group that Maj. Chapman Grant has recently described under 

 the name of EJcuthcrodactylus cooki. This animal is conspicuous 



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