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Mr. P. R. Lowe on the 
land-birds have come to shew either greater or smaller 
differences from their allies of the neighbouring islands. 
The direction of the trade-winds would seem to favour 
colonization from Cuba rather than from Jamaica, but we 
must make allowance for chance storms and hurricanes. 
Grand Cayman and Little Cayman are exceedingly flat 
and very little raised above sea-level, being neither more nor 
less than upraised level reefs of coral limestone. Cayman 
Brae is somewhat higher. It is wedge-like in appearance. 
The thick end of the wedge, which is situated at the east end 
of the island, rises almost perpendicularly to a height of 
eighty feet or more. The coral limestone of which the 
islands are composed has naturally been much worn and 
weathered by wind and rain, and supports a scanty but 
fertile soil. 
As regards the flora, there is, at any rate at the present day, 
no luxuriant forest; the greater part of the islands being 
covered, where not converted into plantations, with thick 
scrub consisting of logwood, fustic, ironwood, and a few 
mahogany trees, while low bushes and creepers are thickly 
interspersed. Where the soil is more sandy there are large 
areas of thatch-palm scrub. 
A feature of the physical condition of the islands is the 
number of marshy areas and boggy pools. These marshy 
spots are covered or dotted with rank grass and other marsh- 
loving vegetation, and are often surrounded by thick belts 
of mangrove trees in which birds swarm. Along the 
northern shore of Grand Cayman these mangroves flourish 
particularly well and grow to a great height. Although 
there are large areas of uncleared scrub and useless marsh, 
the islands (Grand Cayman especially) are thickly dotted 
with small plantations which harbour a noticeably large 
quantity of birds. We know, indeed, of few islands in the 
West Indies where birds are more plentiful or where the 
conditions are more favourable to bird-life. 
We must acknowledge, however, that the general avian 
picture is entirely changed in summer after the departure 
