iS ell Wermore, Birds of Culebra Island, P. R. 53 
there are several smaller keys and reefs near them that are the 
haunts of various sea birds. In crossing from Vieques I passed 
near Cay Lobo (Cross Key) and found it a forbidding cactus 
covered rock with no evidence of bird life apparent. 
Culebra, though subject at times to torrential rains, is dry and 
arid. The annual rainfall for the island for 1908 was 47.33 inches, 
for 1909, 54.63 inches, and for 1910, 35.81 inches. No other records 
are available. The population depends upon rain for its water 
supply and a cement catch basin draining into a municipal cistern 
has been built around the top of a hill. The sun was strong at the 
time of my visit and its rays penetrating but as the air was dry no 
bodily depression resulted. The trade winds cooled and refreshed 
when one could remain in the shade. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS. 
The vegetation of Culebra was, so far as my observations ex- 
tended, similar to that of Vieques Island. Extensive pasture-lands 
were cleared out by peons with their machetes once or twice a year 
and a few fields were cultivated in bananas, yautias and sweet pota- 
toes. Great growths of cactus were found in many places on the 
rocky soil. A prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) was very common and 
there was at least one species of Cereus and another form not 
known to me. These cactus growths with a few bushes and small 
trees covered large areas on the stony hills, and bound together 
with creepers, formed a dense growth difficult of passage. A 
slender line of mangroves bordered the inner bay and on the sandy 
outer beaches were great growths of Uvas de playa (Coccolobis sp.). 
The flamboyan tree was common and in April was in bloom. At 
a distance the symmetrical trees thrust up their heads like scarlet 
tents. The spiny Rallo (Acacia farnesiana) and the equally thorny 
Asoto Caballo (Randia aculeata) were abundant in the pastures 
and threatened to overwhelm the grassland. 
The mongoose has not been introduced into Culebra Island 
fortunately for the existing fauna. Rats are common and their 
nests were seen in cocoanut palms. A Molossus was the only bat 
observed, It was common in early twilight and harbored in 
