﻿29.2 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  Hartert 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  

  

  Christoffel, 
  and 
  also 
  on 
  Aruba 
  and 
  Bonaire^ 
  which 
  must 
  

   sometimes 
  be 
  filled 
  with 
  water. 
  

  

  The 
  spring 
  at 
  Hato 
  on 
  Curacao 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  known 
  habitat 
  

   of 
  a 
  little 
  fish 
  [Pcecilia 
  vandepolli). 
  Of 
  water-beetles 
  I 
  

   caught 
  examples 
  of 
  several 
  species 
  on 
  Curacao 
  and 
  Bonaire. 
  

   Mammals 
  are 
  very 
  scarce; 
  I 
  found 
  only 
  one 
  species 
  of 
  Bat, 
  

   and 
  the 
  European 
  Rat 
  and 
  Common 
  Mouse. 
  A 
  species 
  of 
  

   Hare 
  is 
  common 
  on 
  Aruba 
  and 
  Curacao, 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  found 
  

   on 
  Bonaire. 
  The 
  Venezuelan 
  Deer 
  has 
  been 
  introduced 
  in 
  

   Curasao, 
  and 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  goats 
  ruu 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  

   islands, 
  and, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  do 
  much 
  harm 
  to 
  the 
  vegetation. 
  

  

  Bird-life 
  is 
  abundant, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  species 
  that 
  

   could 
  not 
  be 
  more 
  numerous 
  anywhere. 
  Breeding-places 
  of 
  

   sea-birds 
  are 
  found 
  only 
  on 
  Aruba 
  and 
  Bonaire, 
  and 
  they 
  

   are 
  not 
  very 
  extensive, 
  but 
  enormous 
  numbers 
  of 
  sea-birds 
  

   breed 
  on 
  " 
  Los 
  Aves," 
  east 
  of 
  Bonaire, 
  and 
  " 
  The 
  Monks,'' 
  

   west 
  of 
  Aruba. 
  Now 
  and 
  then 
  boats 
  go 
  there 
  and 
  bring 
  large 
  

   quantities 
  of 
  eggs 
  to 
  Curacao 
  for 
  sale 
  as 
  food. 
  Unfortunately 
  

   I 
  was 
  too 
  late, 
  so 
  I 
  was 
  told, 
  for 
  the 
  egg-season, 
  and 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  visit 
  those 
  uninhabited 
  rocks, 
  thinking 
  that 
  the 
  

   results, 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  

   repay 
  the 
  costs 
  and 
  hardships 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  trip 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   fishing-boats, 
  but 
  I 
  should 
  advise 
  future 
  explorers 
  to 
  go 
  

   there 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  trade-wind 
  blows 
  over 
  the 
  islands 
  almost 
  incessantly, 
  

   with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  vigour, 
  and 
  on 
  exposed 
  parts 
  all 
  the 
  trees 
  

   lie 
  over 
  to 
  the 
  westward, 
  presenting 
  a 
  peculiarly 
  stormy 
  

   appearance. 
  The 
  strong 
  wind 
  is, 
  perhaps, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  

   reasons 
  why 
  insect-life 
  is 
  so 
  scarce. 
  Reptiles, 
  however, 
  are 
  

   very 
  numerous, 
  but 
  not 
  many 
  species 
  occur. 
  Bird-life, 
  too, 
  

   is 
  influenced 
  by 
  the 
  wind, 
  for 
  biixis 
  are 
  more 
  numerous 
  in 
  

   places 
  where 
  the 
  trade-wind 
  does 
  not 
  penetrate, 
  M-hile 
  on 
  

   exposed 
  plateaus 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  scarce 
  as 
  a 
  rule. 
  

  

  On 
  Curac^ao 
  I 
  collected 
  for 
  three 
  weeks 
  altogether, 
  and 
  

   visited 
  many 
  places 
  in 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  staying 
  10 
  days 
  

   at 
  Savonet 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  ChristofFel, 
  ascending 
  to 
  the 
  

   top 
  of 
  this 
  mountain, 
  staying 
  at 
  Willemstad, 
  Beekenburg, 
  

   and 
  Hato, 
  and 
  exploring 
  the 
  country 
  round 
  these 
  places. 
  

  

  