CLARK: LESSER ANTILLEAN BIRDS. 
215 
800 feet, the valleys are principally cut in beds of volcanic conglom¬ 
erate, tuffs and ashes, frequently intersected by dikes of basalt and 
andesite lavas. At elevations above 700 feet beds of conglomerate 
and tuffs are far less common, and the hillsides consist chiefly of 
disintegrated lavas of various kinds, the fragmental materials of 
which have doubtless been removed by the great amount of den¬ 
udation that the rocks have undergone. Partially decomposed lavas 
possessing to some degree the properties of pozzuolano are of fre¬ 
quent occurrence, and are locally termed “tiff.” In the extreme 
north of the island are some raised limestone beaches. 
% 
Politically, Barbados is a colony by itself, having no connection 
with the other British West Indies. Grenada, St. Vincent, and St. 
Lucia form what is known as the colony of the Windward Islands, 
with the seat of government at Grenada. St. Vincent includes not 
only the island of that name, but also all the Grenadines north of 
Carriacou. The southern part of Petit Martinique, Carriacou, and 
the islets to the south are governed from Grenada. 
Meteorological and Geological Phenomena. 
Barbados has, in the course of its history, been visited by a num¬ 
ber of hurricanes of varying severity. The last notable one 
occurred in September, 1898, and laid a large part of the island in 
ruins. The destruction of avian life was very great. Hundreds of 
birds were killed outright in the woods and fields, and many more 
were blown off into the sea and drowned. The decrease of some of 
the species, as for instance the blackbird (Holoquiscalus fortiros- 
tris ) was at the time very marked, but they have all now nearly 
regained their former status. 
On September 11, 1898, St. Vincent experienced one of the most 
destructive hurricanes that has ever occurred in the West Indies. 
The center of the storm passed directly over the island, and the 
interior forests as well as the fruit trees on the cultivated areas 
were almost entirely destroyed. On the next day the island 
appeared as if it had been swept by fire ; there was not a leaf nor 
any green thing in sight. Everything was brown. The number of 
birds was very sensibly diminished, those of the “high woods,” 
especially the parrots (Amazona guildingii ), appearing to have suf- 
