No. 460.] BIRDS OF THE ISLE OF PINES. 183 
many parts of the shore of the island are fringed with man- 
groves which give way as the land rises, to a dense growth of 
palmetto. 
In the Isle of Pines the rainy season begins in the early part 
of May, and rain falls continually until October. The character 
of the country is entirely changed. The Cienaga is covered by 
two or three feet of water and the rivers, which are nearly dy 
in the dry season, become torrents. 
Great difficulty was experienced in taking photographs 
especially after the rain began, but the accompanying views 
selected from a great many, give some idea of the general 
character of the island. 
BIRDS. 
About eighty-three species of birds, most of them resident, 
breed in the Isle of Pines. Besides these, a few northern 
species either winter there or make a short stop in spring or 
autumn, but the list of migrants thus far is not a long one. 
Owing to its nearness to Cuba and to the fact that, geo- 
logically speaking, its separation from that island was recent, 
one would not look for any marked peculiarities in the birds of 
the Isle of Pines, and such do not exist. Nevertheless many of 
the birds of the island have already become slightly changed 
and although they strictly represent the Cuban species, it seems 
best to give some of them distinctive names. The changes that 
have thus far taken place are chiefly in size and proportions, 
colors in most of the species remaining the same or very similar. 
There is no rule in these changes in size,— some of the birds of 
the Isle of Pines are larger, others are smaller than their Cuban 
representatives. 
All the birds of the island are well known by the natives, who 
have a name for nearly every species. In the following list we 
give these names. In some cases we may be slightly in error 
in the spelling of them as it is impossible to find a native who 
can write them correctly. 
1 This number includes some species probably now extinct and a few u. 
birds—such as the Frigate Bird and Flamingo — that may or may not Muay 
breed in the island. 
