GENERAL REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATIONS IN PORTO RICO OF THE 
UNITED STATES PISH COMMISSION STEAMER FISH HAWK IN 1899. 
By BARTON WARREN EVERMANN. 
Naturalist in Charge. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Soon after Porto Rico became a part of the United States the Commissioner of 
Fish and Fisheries decided to make an investigation of the aquatic life of that island. 
An examination of the literature pertaining to the natural history of the West 
Indies showed that comparatively little was known concerning the fishes, and scarcely 
anything of the other aquatic animals or of its aquatic flora. The land animals and 
plants were better known, but even these had received but scant attention. 
Dr. Juan Gundlach seems to have been the only zoologist who had made any con- 
siderable collections of the animals of the island. He appears to have made two visits 
to Porto Rico, the first in 1873 and the other in 1875-76. in June, 1873, he landed 
at Mayaguez and remained in that vicinity until October 1, when he went by boat to 
Aguadilla. On November 1 he went to Arecibo, whence he returned to Mayaguez 
via Quebradillas and Aguadilla. After visiting Guanica about a week he returned to 
Mayaguez and sailed for Habana December 1. Some of the results of his observations 
were published by him in the Journal fur Ornithologie for 1871 and 1878. 1 
In 1875 Dr. Gundlach made his second visit to Porto Rico, reaching Mayaguez 
on September 14, but the rains kept him from collecting. Early in January, 1876, 
he went by boat to Aguadilla, intending to go on to Arecibo, but an epidemic of 
smallpox prevented him doing so for a time, during which he collected to advantage 
about Quebradillas. He finally reached Arecibo, however, and also visited Vega 
Baja and Dorado. On May 19 he reached Utuado and returned to Arecibo July 3. 
About J uly 10 he went to Bayamon, where he met Dr. Stahl, with whom he visited 
San Juan, returning to Mayaguez about a week later. There he remained until 
August 25, when he sailed for Habana. While at Mayaguez he visited Dr. Domingo 
Bello y Espinosa, a practicing physician of that city, who was much interested in the 
botany of Porto Rico. He probably also visited the German vice-consul at Maya- 
guez, Leopold Krug, who had sent to Berlin some collections of the reptiles and 
batrachians of the island, which were reported on by W. Peters in 1876. 2 
1 Beitrag zur Ornithologie der Insel Portorico. -^Journal fur Ornithologie 1874, 304-315. 
Neue Beitriige zur Ornithologie der Insel Portorico. <i Journal fiir Ornithologie 1878, 157-194. 
2 Peters, W. — Ueber eine von Hrn. Viceconsul L. Krug und Dr. J. Gundlach auf der Insel Puerto- 
rico gemachte Sammlung von Sangethieren und Amphibien, so wie iiber die Entwickelung eines Batra- 
chiers, Hylodes marlinicensis, Dum. Bibr. ohne Metamorphose. <Mon, Berlin Akacl. Wiss. 1876, 703- 
714, and pi. 1; Reptiles, 705-708; Batrachia, 709-714 and pi. 1. 
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