New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-19

ferent species of birds Notable among these
are some beautiful little parakeets. cockatoos,
mound builders. hornbills and junge-fowls The
last named are the principal game-brds or the
group The natives tame the hornbills and keep
them pets The only important food fishes OF
the fresh waters OF the Philippines are species
of catfishes and carp
FAUNA OF HAWAII AND CUBA
DR.. Theodore ~ Gill. the noted biologist. to
whom the writer is indebted for the greater
part Of this information finds that the only
animals peculiar TO Hawaii are unimportant,
there being bat and few birds among
them. The freak OF the group Is naked.
hightless rail- The feathers from another bird
we're exclusively used in the manufacture or the
famous Hawaiian war cloaks. There are IN Ha-
wall no native fresh-water fishes. although sew
eral salty water species have adapted themselves
TO the interior lakes and streams Isolation mas
been blessing to these Islands IN tnat IL haS
prevented the immigration Of any reptiles
Cuba offers to the new collection an odd Great
ure known as the "almiquL" 1t is one or the
rarest of American mammals ana IS peculiar 10
Cuba alone. 1t is the largest nsectiVorouS am,
mai of the New World The length of its BODY
Is nearly a foot, OF its tail about seven ana one,
half inches. In general appearance Mr.. AimlIui
strongly resembles Br'er Possum though ne pc
longs TO an entirely different order of mammals
He lives in underground caves, and, IKE the
Interesting "magou.' does his bug-huntlng ~
night. Cuba also offers three native species VI
"capromys" dstantly related to the suiiicI
pigs In Cuba are found native crocodies' anu
a kind Of iguana. which, DR.. Gill says Is prIe r,
as food by all who can catch IL Therc are al'o
many brilliantly colored lizards or tne sa,i"
fan,iIv as those enormously called "chameleons
There are quite IA number OF Cuban snakes Dur
none of special interest. Almost all are per-
fectly harmless
BLIND FISHES.
According n DIR. Gin. Cuba is also remarkable
for two species of blind fishes, distantly related
TO the cod family and otherwise represehteu
only in deep forms. They have after many
years adapted themselves to the lresh W',e, VI
I.,l,. ,ax hay
and have lost their sight after living many
generations without seeing daylight. In CuDa
there are also some fresh-water gar PIKE
curious because OF their resemblance TO Amiga
tors This similarity in appearance is sug-
gcsted by the gar pixies" hard bony scales
which will resist muskatshot; also by It's snout,
conspicuously crOcOdi!esque. Other fresh-water
fishes of Cuba are related to similar species
of South America Mexico and the southwestern
United States Those related to cur species are
some forms OF killihshes and mummachogs me
only food fish in Cuban water is large mullel-
which has wandered inland from the sea.
DR. Gill says that the fresh-water fishes OF
Porto Rico are scarcely known to scientific men
The Fish Commissions vessel Fish HAWK -
now in Porto Rican waters investigating them
Porto Rico will contribute but meagrely 10 our
list Of fauna. There are no Indigenous
earth animals. but rats and mice, or course
have followed man thither About the only IN
digenous animal Of Porto Rico is believed TO Dd
a species OF bat. which from the popular point
of view has nothing peculiar pertaining to H.
FINE SNAIL SHELLS.
Uncle Sam already has in the Smithsonian q
collection representing the hundreds or DeautlIui
81 all shells found in all Of the islands soon to
become our territory and from Hawaii as well.
These range from a giant specimen. about the
size of an orange. from the Philippines, TO u
tiny dwarf form from Hawaii. our snail-eatns
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 few of them are sufficient Tor
n meal Uncle Sans interest in them. however.
Is inspired solely by their beauty. The Philip
pine snail shells are peculiar in that their color
combinations correspond with those OF their I'm
mediate surroundings, as II by special intention
/ of Pro violence to make them invisible to thosd
who would disturb them. Those found near ths
ground are of a dull color. while those hlSh up
on trees are nearly always colored with the COM
binatOns conspicuous in the foliage Immense
forest trees were I'm some Instances felled by thos
who collected tho specimens belonging to the
/ Government which number from four hundred to
five hundred Delicate shades Of green prevail
some are uniformly striped with dark pigmenta-
| tons some glisten as though wet or freshly
/ vanished. others are transparent and tinted as
/ If in imitation Of ancient Etruscan or modern
Venetian glass Among seven hundred speci-
mems collected from Cuba the yellow tintS large
IS prevail Indeed. Mr.. Snail on going TO Cuba
finds that he needs apparel of about the same
hue as that selected by General Miles for our
/ Cuban campaign uniforms. Mr.. simpson, IN
charge Of the collection, regards this coloring
as provision Of nature to make the cuban
snails Invisible i'm the banana plantations, upon
whose fruit they usually feed.
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