694 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



Loma Joaquin & Regino, of about 

 the same height. The vegetation up to 

 3000 ft. is mostly the moist forest of the 

 "Manacales" type, the same which is 

 found in other moist mountains of that 

 altitude; but from 3000 ft. up to the 

 highest summits, enveloped most of the 

 time in the fog, this is replaced by 

 another type of vegetation much differ- 

 ent from the preceding; instead of 

 "Manaca" palm is 'Talma Justa;" 

 trees not seen in lower localities are 

 abundant, as Clethra cubensis, Weinman- 

 nia pinnata, Henianthus salicifolius', 

 the biggest trees are the "Barril" (Cy- 

 rilla racemi flora). Magnolia cubensis, 

 and species of Dipholis. The "Fang- 

 ales," as these forests are called are 

 furthermore characterized by a deep 

 cover of dead leaves on the ground, 

 where ferns of the genera Elaphoglos- 

 sum, Asplenium, etc., are growing in 

 abundance, occasionally replaced by 

 carpets of Sphagnum. In places where 

 the ground is more barren and rocky, 

 and supports only a shrubby growth or 

 low forest, the wind and sun penetrate 

 more freely, keep away the excess of 

 dampness, and there results instead 

 of the "Fangales" vegetation, that of 

 "Montef resco" ; this is characterized 

 by Garrya fadyenii, species of Xilosma, 

 Taonabo, Viburnum, etc., together with 

 many Melastomaceae, Lauraceae and 

 Myrtaceae, some Rubus and several 

 showy begonias. In open places are 

 fields of Dicranopteris named "Hele- 

 chales;" these fern fields, in drier situa- 

 tions of lower mountains of the Island, 

 are usually formed of Pteris caudata and 

 Odontosoria sp. As the high Sierra 

 Maestra is rarely visited by anybody, 

 the vegetation likely will not be dis- 

 turbed here in a near future. In those 

 high solitudes may be heard the melodi- 

 ous song of the Cuban nightingale 

 (Myiadesles elisabeth). The wild hogs 

 are abundant and rambling up to the 

 highest summits of the Turquino region. 

 Some wild dogs and cats escaped from 

 domestication are also met with some- 

 times, as well as the Cuban Boa, the 

 "Maja" (Epicrates angulifer) ; it reaches 



sometimes twelve or fifteen feet and 

 feeds on "Jutias" and hens, but is not 

 dangerous to man; it is common in all 

 the Island. Among the other snakes 

 are the "Jubos" (the terrestrial ones) 

 as Dromicus angulifer and D. fugitivus, 

 and the aquatic "Cativos" (Tretanor- 

 hinus variabilis and Tropidonotus cuba- 

 nus). In Sierra Maestra, more than 

 anywhere else, the traveller can easily 

 find honey, not only of the common bee, 

 but also the sweeter one of the stingless 

 Cuban bee (Melipona fulvipes}. 



An interesting locality near the east- 

 ern end of Sierra Maestra is Cabo Cruz ; 

 here are forests of Pimienta officinalis 

 and of Brosimum alicastrum. The "Ra- 

 bijunco" (Phaeton americanus] , and 

 that very rare and most interesting of 

 cuban reptiles (Criosaura typica] also 

 occur there, as do Helix prominula and 

 Liguus poeyanus. 



REFERENCES 



Hayes, Vaughan and Spencer. Informe 

 sobre un reconocimiento geo!6gico 

 de Cuba. Boletin de Minas. 2. 

 Habana. 1917. 



M. Sanchez Roig. La Fauna Jurasica de 

 Vinales. Boletin especial de la 

 Secretaria de Agricultura. Habana. 

 1920. 



M. Sanchez Roig. Escualidos del Mio- 

 ceno y Plioceno de La Habana. 

 Boletin de Minas. 6, Habana. 1920. 



Roque Allende. Estudio tecnico de los 

 yacimientos minerales de Isla de 

 Pinos. Boletin de Minas. 7. Ha- 

 bana. 1923. 



Britton and Millspaugh. Bahama Flora. 

 New York. 1920. 



Ign. Urban. Symbolae Antillanae. 

 IX. Lipsiae. 1923. 



F. Poey. Memorias sobre la Historia 

 Natural de la Isla de Cuba. I. 

 Habana. 1851. 



J. Gundlach. Ornitologia Cubana. Ha- 

 bana. 1876. 



J. Gundlach. Mamalogia Cubana. Ha- 

 bana. 1877. 



J. Gundlach. Erpetologia Cubana. 

 Habana. 1880. 



C. de la Torre. Investigaciones 

 paleonto!6gicas en las Sierras de 

 Vinales y de Jatibonico. Habana. 

 1910. 



C. T. Ramsden. Vida y exploraciones 

 zoo!6gicas del Dr. Juan Gundlach 

 en Cuba. Memorias de la Sociedad 

 Poey. Habana. 1918. 



