NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



m's) ; "Pato chico" (Nomonya domin- 

 t'cws); "Pato rojo" (Trismatura rubida); 

 "Pato lavanco" (Mareca americand) ; 

 "Pezcuecilargo" (Dafila acuta) ; "Guan- 

 abd, rojo" (Botaurus lentiginosus} ; 

 "Gallareta azul" (lonornyx martinicus) ; 

 the "Gavildn caracolero" (Rosthramus 

 sociabilis), which lives in lagoons and 

 swamps, feeding on snails especially of 

 the genus Ampullaria. Other species 

 of hawks, as the "Gavilan de monte" 

 (Buteo borealis), are also found in Pinar 

 del Rio. A moth, (Attacus ricinus), 

 is giving silk, but inferior to that of 

 Bombyx mori. The river turtle "Ji- 

 cotea" (Emys rugosa), is abundant here 

 and in the other provinces. 



7s le of Pines 



Isle of Pines is throughout of the same 

 nature as Pinar del Rio. In its northern 

 and northeastern portions are some 

 wooded limestone hills, Sierra de Casas 

 and Sierra de Caballos, about 1000 ft. 

 high. The central and western parts 

 are barren pinelands, with an area, 

 between Santa Barbara and Los Indies 

 of the same white sand as that of the 

 Guane-Remates region in Pinar del 

 Rio. The southern part of the Island, 

 the Jorobado peninsula, is a coral reef 

 similar to the Guanahacabibes penin- 

 sula. On its southern shore, ragged 

 aeolian rocks alternate with sandy 

 beaches which seem to be the birth 

 place of Thrinax parviflora, the palm 

 of the Cuban coasts. This nearly un- 

 inhabited southern part is separated 

 from the rest by the extensive Siguanea 

 and Lanier's swamps. In the little dis- 

 turbed woods, are found the "Roble de 

 olor" (Macrocatalpa punctata), Schaef- 

 feria frutescens, Guayacum sanctum, 

 Metopium toxiferum, Copaifera hymen- 

 aefolia, and the beautiful Bauhinia 

 jenningsii; the largest tree of that 

 region is undoubtedly the "Jocuma 

 amarilla" (Sideroxylum foetidissimum) . 

 Several marine turtles are fished up in 

 Isle of Pines: the "Tortuga" (Chelonia 

 my das), the "Caguama" (C. caretta), 

 and the valued "Carey" (C. inibricata). 



According to Dr. Ekman, the Jorobado 

 and Guanahacabibes peninsulas (their 

 geological formation and vegetation 

 being much alike) undoubtedly were 

 forming the southcoast of Cuba during 

 the Pleistocene age. 



Though the population of Isle of 

 Pines hardly reaches 5000 inhabitants, 

 or perhaps less, good hotels are found 

 in Nueva Gerona, Santa F6, etc., and 

 in motor car, one may run over the 

 greater part of the Island. A steamship 

 service connects Havana with Isle of 

 Pines through Bataban6 three times a 

 week. 



Habana-Matanzas 



Besides the low limestone hills of the 

 north coast, this region is traversed in 

 its length by two parallel chains of 

 tertiary limestone. Their rocks are less 

 hard than those of the Pinar del Rio 

 mountains and named "diente de perro" 

 (dogtooth) for being eroded by rain into 

 sharp points. The Flora is not so 

 interesting as that of the Jurassic mo- 

 gotes; its predominating elements are, 

 for instance, the three species of 

 "Guara" (Cupania americana,. C. macro- 

 phylla, C. glabra); the "Vibona" (Den- 

 dropanax arboreum) ; the "Cigua" (Nee- 

 tandra coriacea); the "Jagua" (Genipa 

 americana)', the "Ciguaraya" (Trichilia 

 havanensis) ; Trichilia hirta; Savia ses- 

 siliflora; Mappia racemosa; the "Ceib<5n" 

 (Pachira emarginata) ; Elaphrium sima- 

 ruba, Citharexylum fruticosum, Zan- 

 thoxvlum martinicense, Z. elephantipes , 

 etc. Much rarer are the following. 

 Guayacum officinale, Macrocatalpapunc- 

 tata, Laurocerasus occidentalis , L. myrti- 

 folia, Ficus jacquinifolia, Portlandia 

 daphnoides, and Leptocereus leoni, this 

 usually on steep rocks. Thrinax micro- 

 carpa is forming usually extensive 

 patches which conceals the bareness of 

 the rocks; other calcivorous plants 

 abound, among them Philodendron lace- 

 rum and P. wrightii. 



The birds usually found in these 

 Havana wooded hills, are, for instance, 

 several species of hawks: (Circus hud- 



