R. H. Masure—The Birds of a Carribean Cruise 157


fleshy crest on the head), Hyacinth Macaw, Lesser Sulfur Crested

Cockatoo (the first of this species that I have ever seen as a zoo

inmate), and a large cage of Humming-birds and Sugar Birds that

was heavily planted. I cannot tell you enough about this beautiful

bird collection, and I hasten to tell you that you are missing a great

deal if your visit to St. Louis does not include a trip to the bird

house.


The following Wednesday morning I sailed from New Orleans,

La., on the S.S. Sixaola, of the United Fruit Co., for Honduras and

Guatamala. Sailing down the Mississippi river we saw many gulls

which I did not identify and Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis ).

As we left the river and entered the gulf in the evening, I was unable

to see any birds along the coast. The next birds were encountered on

Saturday afternoon when we docked at Puerto Cortez, Spanish

Honduras. I cannot refrain from telling you how thrilling it was to

realize that I was about to set foot in the tropics, that most interesting

of all the climatic zones of the world. If you are interested in birds

or plant life nothing is quite so exciting. While waiting for the officials

of Honduras to board the boat so that we could enter the country

I saw several Frigate Birds (Fregata magnificens), very large gull-like

birds with dark backs, naked red throats, and long forked tails, that

were circling about the ship. Floating on the water were more of the

Brown Pelicans, and Common Booby (Sula leucogastra). There were

other gulls flying about the boat that I was unable to identify.

Glancing at the shore I saw many of the large Black Vultures (Coragyps

aratus) one of the most common birds of the tropics. These large

clumsy black birds with their featherless gray heads were seen walking

about quite unafraid of human beings. As I followed the progress of

one of the birds I watched it walk upon the porch and into the doorway

of a “ Cantina ”, one of the native waterfront cafes. Another walked

down a railroad track and still others flew about and perched on the

metal roofs of the houses in the village. Wherever you go you would

see large numbers of this scavenger bird that is often termed the

“ Department of Health ” because it eats all the refuse that would

spread diseases and make the tropics very dirty and unhealthy. No

one ever molests these large birds and I am sure that a collector would



