THREE CRUISES OF THE ‘ BLAKE.” 
114 
As is well known, Cuba, the Bahamas, Hayti, and Porto Rico, 
instead of having, as we might naturally assume from their prox- 
imity to Florida, a decided affinity in their fauna and flora with 
that of the southern United States, show, on the contrary, unmis- 
takable association with that of Mexico, Honduras, and Central 
America; the Caribbean Islands indicate in part the same rela- 
tionship, though the affinity to the Venezuelan and Brazilian 
fauna and flora is much more marked. The most characteristic 
feature of the West Indian fauna is the immense development 
of the land mollusks; the birds are South American; and ter- 
restrial mammals are almost wanting, with the exception of 
three genera peculiar to the larger islands. 
One of the most remarkable of the mammalian types of the 
greater West India Islands is the insectivore Solenodon,' be- 
longing to a family of which representatives are known only 
from Madagascar. The rodents are all members of groups 
characteristic of South America. The agouti, which once ex- 
tended to the large islands, is now said to be found mainly in 
the Windward Islands? The islands of Trinidad, Tobago, and 
the Leeward Islands, are all on the great continental plateau 
of South America, detached parts of the mainland itself, and 
have its characteristic fauna and flora. 
In view of the short distances between the West India Islands 
it is not astonishing that the birds should partake somewhat of 
the character of North, Central, and South America. There 
are a number of North American birds which spend the winter 
on these islands, or migrate farther south. The fact that the 
majority of them only visit Cuba and Jamaica may be explained 
by the direction of the tradewinds, which would prevent them 
from reaching Hayti, Porto Rico, or the more eastern Wind- 
ward Islands. Many of the birds formerly found in some of 
the smaller islands have become exterminated by the increase of 
population and the clearing of the forests. 16 is most probable 
that in these islands, so favored in their climate апа their flora, 
1 But as the insectivores are now dying 2 In the caves of Anguilla are found 
out, we may consider this genus a rem- fossil mammals belonging to South Amer- 
nant of a group formerly having з лсе ican types. 
wider distribution, 
