S. Porter—A West Indian Diary



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appear fairly tame and I used to often watch a family party in the

mangroves near Falmouth. The young birds, not having learned the

ways of the world, were much more confiding than their parents.


Haiti


A more uncongenial place than the “ Black ” republic of Haiti

cannot be imagined. The least said about this very disagreeable

country perhaps the better. Its one compensation is, or rather was,

that it possessed a unique avifauna, but little of it is now seen by the

casual traveller for the greater part of the magnificent forests which

once covered this very mountainous land have been destroyed; the

only remaining portions being on the high mountains bordering the

neighbouring republic of San Domingo, where the main remnant of

the vanishing avifauna still holds out. In the rural districts one is

lucky to see any birds at all and at the best it is usually only a fleeting

glance as some terrified feathered creature flashes by to safety. It is

not without significance that the Southern Vulture, though existing

in the neighbouring islands of Jamaica, Cuba, etc., is not now found

in Haiti. These birds possibly did exist, but were unable to compete

against the human harpies who now inhabit the land, so died out.

The chief occupation of the rapacious islanders appears to be the

robbery of visiting foreigners. It is also rather significant that one

sees very few really old people. This is possibly due to the fact that

when a person reaches the age when he or she is incapable of being

imposed upon, their throats are slit or they are quietly put away !


Those people who talk a great deal about government by native

races would do well to take a holiday in Haiti, and after a few weeks’

residence would, like the writer, be very glad to pack their bags and not

without a sigh of heartfelt relief, quickly and quietly slip away.


I had previously made a theoretical study of the birds of Haiti,

and hoped to see something of their habits in a wild state, but finding

that the Haitian allows no opportunity to pass to impose on or rob

the foreigner, I quitted the island with my object unfulfilled.


Nearly every bird is killed by the natives for food, and when making

inquiries about the rare Hispaniolan Conure (Aratinga chlorojptera),

I was always told, “ Bird no good only to eat.” The only birds I saw



