Vol. xxxiin 



1916 



J Wetmore, Birds of Vieques Island, P. R. 405 



bound together with thorny creepers are difficult of passage and 

 winding cattle trails afford the only pathways. Many hilltops 

 are densely covered with brush and trees, and on the south coast 

 are considerable areas of virgin forest. Several lagoons fringed 

 with mangro^•es furnish resorts for water birds. There are small 

 streams on the island but at the time of my visit they had only 

 scattered pools of brackish water along their beds. Pools in the 

 largest stream contained numbers of tadpoles and minnows. 



Vieques is a dry island with droughts that at times are unbroken 

 for the space of a ;s'ear. At the time of m\' visit c^uick dashing 

 showers were frequent but were barely sufficient to moisten the 

 surface of the ground. The average rainfall since 1903 ranges 

 from 38.59 inches (1912) to 55.25 inches (1905). Though I found 

 the heat of the sun intense the atmosphere was dry with none of the 

 depressing humidity of the north coast of Porto Rico. The steady 

 refreshing stream of the trade winds moderated the heat and in 

 doors the davs were comfortable and cool. 



General Conditions. 



In its vegetation and general appearance Vieques is similar to 

 the southern side of Porto Rico. Along the northern shore line 

 the force of the trade winds distorts many of the trees and shrubs. 

 Growths of uvas de pi ay a {Coccolobis sp.), common along the sandy 

 beaches, were as even on the side exposed to the wind as though 

 trimmed by hedge shears. Even the springy Iluma palm {Aeria 

 aiienuata) grew prostrate in a few localities and it was not un- 

 common to see a small deciduous shrub with the branches devel- 

 oped entirely on one side so that it was blown out like a flag in 

 the wind. 



Sea grapes (Coccolobis sp.) fringed the beaches, and mangroves 

 bordered the lagoons. The pastures were dotted with thorny 

 asoio caballo (Randia amdeaia), a spiny introduced acacia, the 

 rallo (Acacia farnesiana), and scattered trees of the muneco (Cordia 

 coUococca). The mango (Mangifera indica), moral (Cordia nitida), 

 palma de Iluma (Aeria attenuata) and bay tree or ausu (Amomis 

 caryoyhyllata) were not uncommon. The palo bianco (Drypetes 



