334 Wetmore, Birds of Desecheo Island, P. R. [jjj y 



from Porto Rico established temporary camps on the island where 

 they lived for short periods and salted their catches. 



Gundlach passing north of Desecheo in 1874 remarked on the 

 abundance of waterfowl around it but did not visit it during his 

 work in Porto Rico. Bowdish crossed from Aguadilla on June 24, 

 1900, and returned on the same day. He came again the following 

 year and remained from July 6 to 10. All that was known of the 

 bird life of the island prior to 1912 is embodied in his notes. 



During my stay in Aguadilla in June, 1912, I made many in- 

 quiries concerning Desecheo and finally arranged to visit the island. 

 With two fishermen, Juan and Pedro, who were familiar with 

 Desecheo, I left Aguadilla on June 13 in a small open sailboat. 

 We reached the island about five that night and after some diffi- 

 culty made a landing in a small sandy indentation in the cliffs. 

 W T e camped on the beach while a small cave served as a work room 

 and shelter from the intense heat of the sun. We worked here 

 until June 16, when we returned to Aguadilla as a storm was 

 brewing and our water supply was low. 



In December, 1912, Desecheo Island was made a bird reserve, 

 a wise regulation, as sooner or later charcoal burners in search of 

 wood would have visited it and destroyed the shrubs that now 

 support and shelter part of the sea bird rookeries. 



Physical Features. 



Desecheo Island is about one and one-fourth miles long by 

 somewhat more than three-fourths of a mile broad. The island is 

 rounded in general form with points projecting at the eastern and 

 western ends. Inland the slopes rise steeply to a double pointed 

 hill, the higher part of which is six hundred feet above sea level. 

 The shore line is rocky and abrupt. In three places there are small 

 bays with sandy beaches, back of which rise cliffs from thirty to 

 fifty feet high. An ill-defined path leads around three sides of the 

 island, but the eastern end is difficult of access. Strong currents 

 sweep past, the surf is usually heavy, and there are rocks offshore 

 in the little bays so that landings are made with difficull 



The soil is thin and rocky but above tidemark the island is cov- 



