THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 674.— August, 1897. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM THE WEST 



INDIES. 



By Percy Rendall, M.D., F.Z.b. 



Early this year I spent three months in the Antilles 

 collecting zoological specimens of all kinds. The bulk of this 

 time was passed in Trinidad, or, as the Indians call it, Iere, and 

 most of my collecting was done in the south-west province 

 known locally as the district of Savana Grande. Geographically 

 both this island and Tobago (which is nineteen miles further 

 north) are portions of the South American Continent, and the 

 respective faunas bear strong resemblance therefore one to the 

 other. The small mammals from these islands are, however, 

 so little known that I contribute a few remarks upon those I 

 captured. 



Most of my work was done with break-back traps baited with 

 banana, Indian corn, and sweet cassava, but the last named was 

 much the deadliest. My rendezvous was a Government rest- 

 house, but though I had genuine primaeval forest within a 

 mile, I found that all the small things were to be taken along 

 the course of a little stream, with a growth of balisiers and mixed 

 bush, that fringed the cultivated but partly-cleared gardens and 

 cocoa groves. 



For the scientific names I am indebted to my friend Mr. Old- 

 field Thomas. The English equivalents are those used by the 

 " natives," who seem to be any colour, and combine strains of 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. I., August, 1897. 2 s 



