TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTION'S, 107 



species replacing each oilier in the different islands. Much, it is true, has been 

 done towards the ■working-out of Antillean faunas of late years ; but much more 

 remains to be done ; and indeed it is scandalous that there should be many islands 

 under the British rule of the Zoology of which we are altogether unacquainted. 

 The greater activity of our Botanical fellow-labourers has supplied us with a handy 

 volume of the Botany of these islands* ; and it is by no means creditable to the. 

 Zoologists to remain so far behind in this as in other cases already alluded to. 

 Within the compass of the present address it would not be possible for me to 

 enumerate all our authorities upon Antillean zoology ; but I will mention some of 

 the principal works of reference under the following heads : — 



1. The Bahamas. I 4. Haiti. 



2. Cuba. 5. Porto Rico. 



3. Jamaica, \ 6. Tlie Lesser Antilles. 



1. Tlie Bahamas. 



The late Dr. Bryant has published, in the ' Boston Journal of Natural History,- 

 several articles upon the Birds of the Bahamas, where he passed more than one 

 winter (112). These islands, however, merit much more minute investigation 

 than has as yet been bestowed upon them. 



2. Cuba. 



Ramon de la Sagra's ' Historia Fisicay Politica de Cuba ' (113), and Lembeye's 

 ' Aves de la Isla de Cuba ' (114), were up to a recent period oin* chief authorities 

 upon Cuban zoology. But Cuba has long had the advantage of the residence 

 within it of an excellent naturalist, Don Juan Gundlach, who has laboured hard 

 towards the more complete investigation of its remarkable zoology. We are indebted 

 to him for collecting the specimens upon which Dr. Cabanis based his revision of 

 Cuban Ornithology, published in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie ' (115), as also for 

 a tabular list of Cuban Birds, published in the same joimial for 1861 (116), and for 

 several supplements thereto — for the more recent reviews of the Mammals and 

 Birds of the island, published in the first volume of Poey's ' Repertorio ' — and for 

 many other contributions to the natural histoiy of Cuba. This last-named work 

 (117), as also the previous ' Memorias sobre la historia natiu'al de la Isla de Cuba' of 

 the same author (118), contain a number of valuable contributions to our knowledge 

 of the rich fauna of this island, and should be carefidly studied by those who are 

 anxious to become acquainted with the peculiarities of the Cuban faima. 



3. Jamaica. 



Mr. Gosse's meritorious work on the Birds of Jamaica (119), and his 'Naturalist's 

 Sojourn ' (120), are still the main source of our information on the fine island of 

 Jamaica, and very little has been done since his time. A young English naturalist, 

 Mr. W. Osburn, made some good collections in Jamaica in 1860, of which the 

 Mammals were worked out by Mr. Tomes (121), and the Birds by myself (122). Mr. 

 W. T. March has also more recently sent good series of the birds of the island to 

 America ; and Prof Baird has edited his excellent notes on them (123). I must not 

 lose the opportunity of calling special attention to the Seals of the Antilles 

 (Monachus tropicaUs and. Ci/siophora aiiti/larum of Gray), of which, so far as I 

 know, the only specimens existing are the imperfect remains in the British Museum 

 brought home by Mr. Gosse. More knowledge about these animals (if there be 

 really more than one of them) would be very desirable. 



4. Haiti. 



Of this large island very little more is known as regards its zoology than was tlio 

 case in the days of Buffou and Vieillot. Of its Birds alone we have a recent account 

 in a paper which I prepared in 1857, upon M. Salle's collection (124), and in a 

 more recent memoir tb-awn up by the late Dr. Bryant, and published in the ' Pro- 

 ceedings ' of the Boston Society of Natural History (125). 



* Griesbach's ' Flora of the West Indies.' 



9* 



