CHAPTER IV 



Cayo Hutia and tHe Reef 



Wednesday, May ijth. Cayo' Hutia is a real 

 island and not merely a mangrove swamp as all of 

 the keys so far examined had, to our disappoint- 

 ment, proven to be. We landed near the light- 

 house first to make a search for Cerion, as the 

 low-lying shore vegetation seemed to offer a 

 favorable station, but we found none whatever. 

 Myriads oijejenes (the Florida *' sand-fly" and the 

 northern "punkie") assaulted us as we waded 

 ashore. The jejenes are a veritable scourge along 

 the coastal strip of Cuba. They are too small to 

 guard against by use of ordinary netting and their 

 bite is peculiarly poisonous to the newcomer. One 

 eventually becomes more or less inoculated and 

 immune against the venom of their bite which 

 then leaves little or no after-results, however 

 annoying at the time. Fortunately the tiny 

 insects cannot operate if any wind is blowing. 



« The words " Cayd," " Cay," and " Key " all signify an island. 

 55 



