Margarita Island, Venezuela. 549 
somewhat parched-up island. Here and there are a few 
small lagoons and water-holes, always sure “finds” for the 
bird-collector, and towards the western extremity of the 
island is a large lagoon-like inlet from the sea of many 
acres in extent. It is bordered with the inevitable fringe of 
mangroves and studded with a maze of small islands. Low 
swampy ground and sandy wastes of prickly cactus-scrub 
border it on two sides, and the locality forms a perfect 
treasure-ground for the ornithologist. 
A low-lying shore-belt surrounds nearly the whole island 
and extends inland for about three or four miles. This belt 
is dry, infertile, flat, and very hot. 
Sun-baked patches of crude red soil alternate with patches 
of sand or gravel. The soil supports a flourishing and 
hopeless tangle of cactus-scrub (Cereus and Opuntia). 
Everything, in fact, that grows in this zone is armed with 
terribly long thorns and prickles. The growth of upright 
cacti isso thick in places that constant and worrying detours 
are continually needed to make any progress. We did not 
forget our experiences of it for many a day. After each 
excursion ashore quite a long time had to be spent in 
extracting the poisonous thorns from various parts of our 
bodies, and some of us suffered from painful abscesses which 
were long in healing. 
To retrieve birds in this sort of scrub is often a long and 
tedious process, and much time is wasted in this way, while 
the explorer is converted into an animated pin-cushion. 
In spite of these troubles, however, we found birds in 
this belt in plenty—Polioptila, Dendroplex, Melanerpes, 
Chamepelia, Scardafella, Eupsychortyx, Cardinalis, Icterus, 
Doleromyia, Conurus, Amazona, Cereba, Mimus, &c. 
Further inland a region of extremely broken ground and 
low hillocks forms the approach to the central chain of 
mountains. This area is occupied in places by cocoanut and 
banana plantations, as well as small cultivated holdings, where 
the visitor is always sure of finding birds. 
El Valle, one of the principal villages on the island, is 
situated in this zone, and I spent some time collecting in 
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SER, IX.—VOL. I. 20 
