334 Recent Ldterature. [july 



The immensely valuable agricultural interests of Porto Rico have suffered 

 severely from insect pests and it seemed desirable, in seeking means to 

 combat them, to obtain at the outset definite data on the food habits of the 

 native birds, in order to foi-mulate plans for the better protection of those of 

 greatest economic importance. Mr. Alex Wetmore, Assistant Biologist of 

 the Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture, was selected for 

 carrying out this investigation and judging from his report a l^etter choice 

 could not have been made. During a residence of nine months on the 

 island, December 13, 1911 to September 11, 1912, he visited forty-four 

 localities obtaining 2200 stomachs and a mass of data. Upon this material 

 and a thorough study of the literature the report has been based. 



The brief introduction discusses the birds found in the various agricul- 

 tural districts — the cane fields, coffee plantations, and citrus groves; and 

 the bird enemies of some of the principal insect pests — the mole cricket, 

 sugarcane root-borer, weevil stalk-borer and May beetle. 



Then follow instructions for increasing birds, based on experience in the 

 United States, and a discussion on the introduction of exotic species. 

 Of several species introduced in the past, only the Hooded Weaver-finch 

 {Spermestes cucullatus) has become generally distributed and fortunately 

 it has not proved injurious. Mr. Wetmore is opposed on general principles 

 to introducing foreign birds, but thinks it possible that the Barn Owl might 

 be a valuable adjunct to the native avifauna as a check on the rats. 



In the annotated list the several native names of each species are added 

 to the English and technical names, and a good account of the habits and 

 distribution is presented. Then follows an analysis of the food, based upon 

 the examination of stomach contents. The information thus obtained in 

 the case of North American birds which winter in Porto Rico is of particular 

 interest as it rounds out oui- knowledge of the food habits of these species. 



Mr. Wetmore found the " Martinete " or native variety of the Green 

 Heron, to be the greatest destroyer of the injurious mole cricket, while the 

 Blackbird (Holoquiscalus brachypterus) seems to be the greatest enemy of 

 the root-l)orer. The little owl {Gymnasio nudipes) feeds largely upon the 

 May beetle. There was no evidence that any of the Porto Rican birds 

 were injurious, with the exception of two hawks which however, are not 

 common. 



Porto Rico, like the other Greater Antilles is very poor in bird species 

 compared with Central America and Mr. Wetmore's list comprises only 162 

 species with 16 others, the occurrence of which he thinks requires confirma- 

 tion. Of this number only about 50 are resident land birds. As an indica- 

 tion of the abundance of bird life on the island several censuses are given. 

 One on May 24 at Yauco yielded 391 individuals of 35 species in four 

 hours, over a distance of five miles; while on June 28 near Lares 335 indi- 

 viduals of 27 species were seen. The several half tone plates represent 

 Porto Rican birds from drawings by Fuertes and photographs of stomach 

 contents. 



Mr. Wetmore's report will serve a valuable purpose in stimulating inter- 



