218 CRUISE OF THE BARRERA 



we found no trace of mollusks. Insects were 

 scarce, save for some butterflies. Of reptiles we 

 saw none but we were told by the driver that there 

 were crocodiles in the lakes. 



There were many birds. Among pigeons we 

 noted the West Indian mourning dove (Zenaidura 

 macroura), the Zenaida dove (Zenaida zenaida), 

 and the Cuban ground dove (Chcempelia passerina 

 aflavida). The Cuban bob-white uttered its 

 cheerful note from all directions ; this is a smaller, 

 darker bird than our American quail, but the latter 

 is also found in Cuba. A rather rare bird that 

 we had opportunity to watch as it stood stiffly 

 rigid to avoid detection is the large Cuban sand- 

 hill crane (Grus nesiotes). These large birds 

 stalk about the grassy plains near La Fe usually 

 along the margins of the shallow ponds. The 

 ubiquitous turkey buzzard is here and the little 

 Cuban sparrow-hawk (Cerchneis sparveria domini- 

 censis) is even more abundant. Of other birds 

 of prey we saw here our only example of Audubon's 

 caracara (Polyborus cheriway) . The common mock- 

 ing bird of the south, to whom Linnaeus gave the 

 appropriate name of Mimus polyglottus orpheus, 

 is usually in evidence if not always by sight. 



