Evening star., 1899-02-04

to an entirely different order Of mammals.
He lives in underground caves. and. like the
interesting ''magou,' does his bug hunting
at night Cuba also offers three native
species Of 'capromNs, distantly related 10
the guinea pigs. IN cuba are found native
crocodiles ana a kind Of iguana. which. DIR.
Gill says, is priced as food by ali who can
catch 1t. There are also many brilliantly
cOiOTed lizards OF the same family as those
enormously called 'chameieons.' There
are quite number Of Cuban snakes. but
none OF special interest. Almost all are per-
fectly harmless.
DIind Fishes.
According to Dr. Gill, Cuba is also re-
markalpe for two species of blind fishes.
distantly related to the cod family and 9TH
erwise represented only in Geep sea forms.
They have. after many years, adapted
themselves to the freseh water Of the caves
in which they have become isolated and
have lost their sight after living many gen.
erations without seeing daylight. In Cuba
there are also some fresh water gar pike
curious because OF their resemblance 10 al
ugatOrs. This similarity in appearance IL
suggested by the gar pixies hard, bony
scales, which will resist musket shot. also
by its snout, cOnsp.cuousiy crOCudiiesqus.
Other fresh water fishes of Cuba are re-
lated to similar species OF South America,
Mexico and southwestern United States.
Those related to our species are some forms
Of hilliefisheS and mumichUgs. The only
food fish in Cuban water is large mullet,
which has wandered inland from the sea
Dr. Gill says that the fresh water fishes
OF Porto Rico are scarcely known TO scieI-
tic men. The fish commissions vessel
Fish Hawk is now in Porto Rican waters
Investigating them. Porto Rico Will con-
tribute but meagerly TO our list OF new
fauna. There are no Indigenous earth ami
mails. but rats and mice, Of course, have
followed man ,nithcr. About the only in
digenous animal Of Porto Rico is believed
TO be a species of bat. which. from the pop
ular point of view, has nothing peculiar
pertaining to It
Fine Snail shells.
Uncle Sam already has in the Smithson-
ian a collection representing the hundreds
of beautiful snail shells found in all of the
islands soon to become our territory, and
from Hawaii as well. These range from
giant specimen. about the size OF an orange,
from the Philippines, TO a tiny dwarf form
from Hawaii. Our snail-eating aristocrats
will be overjoyed to learn that the largest
of these succulent creatures to be found in
the world abound in the Philippines. The
natives find that a few of them are suf-
ficient for a meal. Uncle Sans interest in
them, however, is inspired solely by their
beauty. The Philippine snail shells are
peculiar, in that their color combinations
correspond with those of their Immediate
surroundings, as if by special intention of
Providence to make them invisible TO those
who would disturb them. Those found near
the ground are of dull color, while those
Hisn up on trees are nearly diNaNs colOTtu
with the combinations conspicuous in the
foliage. Immense forest trees were in some
instances felled by those who collected the
specimens belonging to the government,
which number from four to five hundred
Delicate shades Of green prevail. Some are
uniformly striped with dark pigfnentations,
some glisten as though wet or freshly var
nished, others are transparent and tinted
as If In imitation of ancient Etruscan or
modern Venetian glass Among 100 sDeci-
mems collected from Cuba the yellow tints
largely prevail. Indeed, Mr.. Snail on GO
ing to Cuba finds that he needs apparel Of
about the same hue as that selected by
General Niles for our Cuban campaign uni
forms. Mr.. Simpson. in charge of the coll
lection, regards this coloring as a provision
of nature TO make the Cuban snails invisi-
bic in the banana plantations, upon whose
fruit they usually feed.