258 ON TUB CliASSIFICATtON OF BIRDS. 
men following his example. The travels in Mexico 
that have yet been published are miserably deficient 
in any thing really valuable relative to its animals; so 
that the collector who should vi.sit or take up his resi- 
dence here has a wide and interesting field for prosecut- 
ing his labours and of enriching our collections with 
specimens. Texas, Honduras, and Guatamala are still 
more imperfectly known ; and who can tell how many 
new and splendid birds inhabit the wide extending 
virgin forests of the coast on both sides the Isthmus ? 
The whole of West India Islands are nearly in the 
same predicament. Cuba, indeed, is now', or was very 
lately, the residence of the celebrated author of the 
HortE EnlomologictE, and several continental naturalists 
have visited the same island, so that we may hope soon 
for some certain information upon its productions ; hut 
in regard to Jamaica, and the whole of the remaining 
islands, we know scarcely any thing on their ornithology, 
and very little on their other animals. At Tortola there 
are persons who have long been in the practice of stuff- 
ing the more richly coloured humming-birds, &c., for 
sale, but those of ordinary plumage are neglected ; and 
as these, even in tropical countries, constitute the ma- 
jority, it follows that many species, even in that island, 
must remain unknown to us in Europe. The inhabi- 
tants of the Bahama islands must not, however, be 
confounded with the listless planters of the IVest 
Indies. A literary and scientific society has recently 
been established, and to the kindness of its active and 
intelligent secretary, Mr. Lees, we are indebted for 
several of the native birds ; sufficiently interesting to 
show how highly desirable would be a further investi- 
gation of this portion of the local zoology. Beyond the 
Mexican Gulf lies the vast continent of South America, 
unquestionably the richest ornithological portion of the 
world, whether as regards variety of species or splendour 
of plumage. But before w’e introduce the collector to 
these regions, we desire to impress upon his attention 
the peculiar interest that attaches to the birds of the 
