44 



THE 00 LOG 1ST 



But the nature of a large uumber of 

 varieties here is utterly iDcompatible 

 with the rapid advance of crowded 

 population. Such inevitably shun the 

 haunts of man and it is with very nat- 

 ural regret that we observe their ap- 

 proaching dooui. A high state of civ- 

 ilization and opulence of wild life are 

 plainly antagonisiic and only those spe- 

 cies of birds and animals that possess 

 or acquire something of the domestic 

 spirit of the English Sparrrow can hope 

 to survive the iaexorable advance of 

 man. We would not stay his progress 

 if we could. All elsejin nature must 

 rightfully pay tribute to him and make 

 way for his certain monopoly of oppor- 

 tunity. 



But alas for our favorite creatures on 

 the wing! Eugene S. Rolfe. 



Mianevvaukan, No. Uak. 



From Trinidad- 

 Thinking perhaps your readers would 

 like to hear from a lover of Nature who 

 is wandering in the tropics, but who 

 belongs in the Northern States, and 

 with regard to birds familiar to many 

 of your readers, 1 send you the 

 few following lines relative to three 

 birds very common here, two of which 

 at least are well known in our Southern 

 States. 



Almost the first bird to challenge my 

 attention as we came into the tropical 

 zone was the Frigate Bird, that bird of 

 enduring flight. At first I saw but few, 

 but soun after entermg upon the blue 

 waters of the Carribean Sea, many of 

 these birds came near our steamer. 

 Here on the Gulf of Paria they can be 

 seen almost any day. Sometimes many 

 will be seen in the air at the same mo- 

 ment, (crossing each others track ia 

 graceful iuterosculaiing circles. 



Another and a much more familiar 

 bird is the Brown Pelican. They are 



extremely plentiful, anil at all time of 

 the day can be seen standing on the 

 bars at the mouth of the Caroui River, 

 or tl3'ing over the bay with alternate 

 lumbering Hap and sail of their broad 

 wings, now and then pausing in their 

 flight tu strike some fish which their 

 shaip eyes espied near the surface. 

 They appear ridiculous as they turn a 

 complete somersault ou stiikiug the 

 water. Clumsy as they are they usually 

 get their tish I thought that I had 

 seen the Brown Pelican iu great num- 

 bers on tiae Gulf coast, and I usually 

 did see many there, but here there are 

 so many more that those I saw farther 

 north now seem few. 



One of the mo^t noticeable birds here 

 ou the Island, that is, the oiie that will 

 attract the most attention from the 

 visitor to Port of Spam, is the Black 

 \ ulture or Carrion Crow. They are 

 everywhere present, in the streets and 

 on the house tops. In passing along 

 the walks 1 have pushed them aside 

 with my foot. But they are a wise bird 

 and usually keep ju^t beyond jour 

 reach. Sometimes, though they are so 

 iutei'ested iu their seaich tor food that 

 the pedestrian has to take it upon him- 

 self to avoid them. Here they are even 

 more nearly domesticated than iu 

 Southern Louisiana. It is no uncom- 

 mon sight to see a dozen of ihese birds 

 racing down a street, going under carts 

 and between the legs of ihe patieLt lit- 

 tle donkeys, keeping up their ludicrous 

 gait of hop and jump for a half block or 

 more. The small boy does not seem to 

 trouble the Vulture here, and as they 

 are protected by law tbeyliveaud grow 

 fat ou the refuse, of the city 



Perhaps i can forvvar<l some few 

 notes from the east bank of the Orinoco 

 in ihe "disputed territory," where I 

 shall spend tome weeks or perhaps 

 months iu the inteiest of Orniiholojjy. 

 Lkslie O Dakt. 

 Port of Spain, Trinidad. 

 March 21, 189(3. 



