CLARK: LESSER ANTILLEAN BIRDS. 
227 
nus Iherminieri ) now breeds on the island, and such common forms 
as Lams atricilla and certain of the terns (Sterna, Anous) occur 
only as uncommon visitors. The geological structure of the island, 
together with its isolated geographical position, the paucity of 
swamps and marshes, and the almost complete destruction of the 
original forests, which have everywhere given place to the canefield, 
account satisfactorily as Col. Feilden remarks for the lack of birds. 
There are at present on the island 16 resident species and sub¬ 
species, viz .: Dendroica capitalist Coereba barbadensis , Vireosylva 
caliclris barbcidense , Pyrrhidagra barbadensis , Tiaris bicolor ornissa , 
Holoquiscalus fortirostris , Elaenea martinica barbadensis , Tyran- 
nus dominicensis rostratus , Seri cotes holosericeus , Bellona cristata 
emigrans , Zenaida zenaida aurita , Columbigallina passerina tro- 
chila, Butorides virescens maculata , Gallimda galeata , Fulica cari- 
baea , Pujfnus Iherminieri. 
It will be noticed at once that most of these species and subspe¬ 
cies, and all of these genera are of very general occurrence through¬ 
out the Lesser Antilles. Six species and subspecies, viz. : Dendroica 
capitalis, Holoquiscalus fortirostris , Coereba barbadensis , Elaenea 
martinica barbadensis , Pyrrhidagra barbadensis, Bellona cristata 
emigranSt are recognizable forms, peculiar to Barbados. 
Evidently, then, the avifauna of Barbados, as might be expected 
in an oceanic island so situated, is wholly made up of very generally 
distributed types, birds which, from their abundance in this region, 
would be theoretically the first to reach any new land in the vicinity. 
Barbados being generally Hat, with very little physiographical dif¬ 
ferentiation, and with almost the whole island under the same con¬ 
ditions of cultivation, its birds are generally distributed, and not 
grouped into faunal zones as are those on other islands, although, of 
course, certain species are rather more partial to pastures (as Colum¬ 
bigallina), and others to woodlands (as Elaenea and Tyrannus). 
Vireosylva alone among the land birds has a restricted habitat, 
being confined to certain portions of the Scotland district. The 
one sea bird ( Puffinus Iherminieri) is only found on a small rock 
off the shores of St. Lucy’s parish. 
In former times, if we may place any reliance on the writings of 
Hughes (1750), Ligon (1763), and Schomburgk (1848), there were 
also resident on Barbados the following: Allenia, Cinclocerthia, 
? Margarops, ? Conurus, Buteo (? antillarum), Strix ( f nigrescens)t 
