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by the colonists "mistletoe." Undershrubs and ferns are few in 

 number and variety, and herbaceous plants are scarce. This 

 wooded region, of very low altitude, here extends about one- 

 fourth of the way across the north and south axis of the island 

 and is separated from the barren, palm-covered savanna to the 

 south by a ridge of limestone hills, known as Sierra Cubitas. 

 The Cubitas Mountains, as these hills are called by the Ameri- 

 cans, were visited and the mouth of a grand cavern in the eastern 

 part afforded an ideal place for camping. The hilltops are 

 clothed with about the same species of trees that comprise the 

 forest of the fertile lowlands but they are stunted and less 

 numerous and one at first wonders how any plants could grow 

 on this perforated rock. Epiphytes were less numerous but 

 bromeliads were sufficiently abundant to be used as fodder for 

 our horses in the total absence of suitable grasses. Several de- 

 pressions, called passes, which in the rainy season are water- 

 courses, are especially interesting, being rich in ferns, peperomias, 

 and various other shade-loving plants. 



" One of the objects of this expedition was to ascertain whether 

 the flora of northeastern Cuba had any relation to that of the 

 adjoining Bahamas, which islands have been the subject of ex- 

 tensive floristic investigations by Dr. Britton and others ; but in 

 the region just described there seems to be little or no relationship. 



" Cayo Guajaba, one of the chain of islands already referred 

 to, none of which seem to have been visited by botanists hereto- 

 fore, probably on account of the difficulty of access, was ex- 

 amined at several points and was found to possess a very different 

 flora from that of the mainland south of it, many of the species 

 being Bahamian. This island is about fifteen miles long, nearly 

 half as wide, of a limestone formation, and rather rough, its hills 

 probably reaching an altitude of two hundred feet. It is unin- 

 habited save by billions of insects and some wild hogs and deer ; 

 a drove of wild horses also is said to exist there, as there is con- 

 siderable grass upon the island. 



" Cayo Sabinal, the largest and easternmost of these islands, 

 appears on some maps as a peninsula ; at the present time it is 

 separated by a narrow artificial canal, but its southern side is 



