FLOEA AND PAUNA OF JAMAICA. 385 



the tropical rains and of the hurricanes. On the north-east slopes of the Blue 

 Mountains the rainfall has occasionally exceeded 100 inches, while the plains of 

 Spanish Town have at times suffered from long droughts.* 



In its indigenous flora and fauna Jamaica resembles its two neighbours, Cuba 

 and San Domingo. A certain number of vegetable species has been introduced 

 from Africa by the slavers, amongst others the horse bean {canaralia etisi/ornihs) , 

 which, being poisonous and used for incantations, was probably brought by the 

 negro medicine-men. It is still regarded, as a charm against thieves, and the 

 blacks give it the name of overlook, in the sense of "watch" or "guard," and 

 entrust to it the s^fe keeping of their cabins and gardens. Another plant, the 

 " trumpet-tree," supplies the porous branches from which the negroes make their 

 koromanti flutes, a kind of hautboy with soft and shrill tones. 



Amongst the local animals the writers of the sixteenth century mention the 

 ako, or " dumb dog " of Cuba, which was probably not a dog, but the procyo» 

 lotor, or North American raccoon. They also speak of several species of small 

 monkeys inhabiting the woodlands. But the animal in which the early settlers 

 were most interested was the land crab {cancer ruricola), which is found also in 

 the other Antilles, but which appears to be everywhere threatened with speedy 

 extinction. It has the curious habit of living in the mountains, but migrating to 

 the seashore to deposit its eggs. Towards the end of April or beginning of May 

 these little crustaceans emerge in myriads from the fissures of the rocks, and 

 march straight for the coast, preceded by battalions of males to explore or clear 

 the way. The eggs are laid at the very edge of the surf and buried in the sand ; 

 as soon as hatched the young crabs set out in countless multitudes for the 

 mountains, which they reach in interminable processions, although preyed upon 

 along the line of march by birds, reptiles, ants, and other enemies. 



But the greatest scourge of the plantations is the rat, which has increased 

 in prodigious numbers, despite the constant efforts to exterminate it by poison, 

 traps, dogs, and even the Guiana toad imported from Martinique. A voracious 

 ant {formica omnivora) was also introduced from Cuba to war against these 

 rodents, against which was afterwards let loose the East Indian mungoos {herpesfes 

 griseus). This species of ichneumon in its turn peopled the island in myriads, 

 preying not only on rats but also on birds and snakes. It even infests the farm- 

 yard, devouring the poultry and sucking their eggs. Thus from being an ally 

 the mungoos has become a foe to the peasantry. 



Inhabitants. 



Jamaica presents almost as great a contrast as Haiti to the Spanish island of 

 Cuba, in the African origin of the vast majority of its present inhabitants. In 

 fact, scarcely any whites are seen except in the towns. When they took possession 



* Meteorological conditions of Kingston (nineteen years' observations) :— Mean temperature, 74° 

 Falir. ; highest, 92° Fahr. ; lowest, 66° Fahr. Mean rainfall, 44 inches; north-east district, S8 inches ; the 

 whole island, 66 inches. 



58 



