404 Wetmore, Birds of Vieques Island, P. R. [oct. 



November 5, 1899, and remained until February 10, 1900. Appar- 

 ently this is the most extended visit which has been made by an 

 ornithologist. His notes on "Some winter birds of the Island of 

 Vieques" (Bowdish, 1900) constitute the only separate paper on 

 the avifauna of this island that has come to my notice. 



In this same year (1900) Dr. C. W. Richmond and Dr. L. Stej- 

 neger during their sojourn in Porto Rico visited Vieques Island, 

 collecting there from INIarch 22 to 28. 



On March 16, 1912, the writer crossed to Vieques Island from 

 Fajardo Porto Rico in a small sloop and remained until April 4. 

 Headquarters were made in the town of Isabel II, a pleasant place 

 with wide streets lined with flamboyant trees {Poinciana regia), 

 somewhat in contrast to the narrow calles and closely crowded 

 houses common in Porto Rican towns. In addition to this visit 

 two days — April 22 and 23 — were spent here on returning from 

 Culebra. During this work Dr. J. S. M. Pressley and Mr. Harold 

 Stiles who was at that time judge of the district, gave friendly 

 assistance. And in Senor Jose Barton, a gentleman well-in- 

 formed as to the natural history of his native island, I found a 

 pleasant companion on many field excursions. 



Physical Features. 



In size Vieques Island is approximately 18 miles long by 3 broad 

 comprising nearly 45 square miles of territory. A chain of low 

 rounded hills extends the length of the island rising in Mount 

 Pirata at the western end to an elevation of about five hundred 

 feet. The low hills slope down directly to the sea with no inter- 

 vening alluvial coastal plain. In general the south coast line is 

 more abrupt, rocky headlands from 30 to 80 feet in height alter- 

 nating with small bays bordered by sandy beaches. On the north 

 the elevations are in the main lower and cliffs are less common along 

 the shore line. The hills are of limestone with outcrops of coral 

 rock. Inland granite boulders are scattered in the pastures. The 

 western half of the island has large areas planted in sugar cane and 

 extensive pastures dotted with bushes. The eastern end is wild 

 and little frequented. There low valleys grown with buslies 



