THE ISLAND OF CUB AC AO. 21 



In a negro's house, near the steamer, we saw in a cage a number 

 of young birds, none of them fully fledged. There were some 

 doves, which were the same as the little ground dove of our South- 

 ern States {Columhigallina passerina). There was also a pigeon, 

 considerably larger, of a wine-colored gray, with white feathers in 

 its wings {Columha gymnojJthalma). This was an undeveloped 

 squab. The man called it " paloma con alas blancas," white-winged 

 dove. There were also three partridges, which, at first sight, I 

 thought were the same as our Virginia bob- white ; but I soon saw 

 that they were different. They were about half grown, and had a 

 marked resemblance to the bob-white in shape and in coloration 

 of their backs and tails. Their throats were white, with some 

 reddish brown feathers among them ; but the distinguishing feature 

 was a long recurved crest of whitish feathers, which they carried 

 continually erect {^iqjsychortyx cinstatus). All of these had been 

 caught within a short distance of the town. We also saw flying 

 about, and heard it singing, a bird very much like our mocking-bird 

 {Mimus gilmts rostratiis). I saw hovering over some flowers on 

 the parapet of one of the forts a small brilliantly green humming- 

 bird [Chlorostilbon atala). 



On the stones in the water's edge along the harbor we saw quan- 

 tities of sea-urchins, with spines eight inches long, barred with 

 black and white {Diadema setosum). Before turning in for the 

 night, we decided to go out with a gun early the next morning, 

 and I arranged for the negro who had the caged birds to go along 

 with us as a guide. 



Saturday, June 18, 1892. I was awake by five o'clock ; woke 

 Cabell, and we dressed hurriedly, and left the ship, taking our 

 smaller gun and only fifteen squibs of dust-shot and a few heavy 

 cartridges. We found our guide waiting patiently for us, and 

 struck off up the hill to the northwest. It is forbidden for any one 

 to go through the streets with a gun here ; but I had on a hunting 

 coat, with voluminous game pockets, in which I put the stock and 

 barrels, and did not put my gun together until we were beyond the 



