Evening star., 1901-06-22
AN IMAL LIFE IN CUBA
INTERESTING BIRDS AND MAMMALS
OF THAT ISLAND.
Many Species of Birds FOund-Beauti.
full Hummers Feathered Gems
That Excel Also in Song.

| My vOyaging and sojourn in the West
| Indies and the Bahamas took place many
| years ago; still the recollection of my ex-
| periences there are nearly vivid as
! though the happenings were of a far less
| remote period. During the times men
| toned l visited nearly every island of the
| Greater Antilles: lived two years in Cuba,
| and spent more than year cruising
/ through the Bahamas and the acjacent
| coasts of the United States.
OF all that had the opportunity Of see
| ing and investigating nothing could in
| any way equal the attraction that the
| animals the birds, the fish, and other
| living forms of the various localities Wis
| tied had for me. They were observed col
| lected and admired upon every occasion
| that presented itself, and numerous col
| ored drawings Of insects and fishes made
| by me during those days are still in my
| possession. The house l lived in, in Cuba
| was out on Gale Tuipan, about two miles
| and a half. to the best of my recollection
| from the northernmost gate that entered
| the old city WALL the latter having long
| ago been torn dow1-So we We're practically
| out in the country, and not far from the
| old Bishops Garden" AS in all suburban
districts in the tropics, forms of animal
| life We're very abundant-and In Cuba es-
pecially in the winter.
Many species Of birds are found to in
| habit the Island of Cuba, indeed, her bird
! fauna is quite a rich one. When we come
| to study it systematically. as has been
| done in times past by not few ornitholo-
| gists. we find that, taking the list of the
known birds of the island, the species
| may. from one point of view, be considered
| under three heads, and these are, first, all
| those birds, which are Indigenous to the
| island, and, in wild state, occur nowhere
else. Then, secondly, there are many
others that not only found in Cuba,
but various other islands of the West
an 20 hlpv hnn oh nnf N no
United States; and finally, a good many
other species are common both to Cuba
| and to the mainland, that is to some part
OF America, and principally of this coun-
try. OF course, the extensive list of water
fowl occurring off the coast of Cuba is, in
the main, accredited to all the aforesaid
| mentioned islands, and to large part of
the United States, and adjacent countries
washed by that part of the Atlantic ocean
and the Gulf of Mexico.
AS winter approaches in our northern
states, the autumnal migration of birds
with us takes place, and a varied host of
species passes southwark, some to remain
In the gulf states. some to pass down into
Mexico and Central America. even fur
ther, and others migrating from southern
Florida. pass over the Island of Cuba,
the West Indies and the Bahamas So
one in exploring or collecting through
Cuba in the winter season meets in her
tropical forests, On the streams, or on the
plantations or open country, many species
OF birds that are both familiar to US here
and more or less abundant in eastern
United States during the spring or vernai
migration. 1t is moreover extremely in
tereStng to see these aSSfOciated with the
terestng to see these associated bird forms
belonging to the islands indigenous fauna.
Even our common robin and blue bird
have, with other United States thrushes,
been found in Cuban forests, as we'll as
catbirds, mockins birds, quite list of
our warbers and other small birds, and
swallows and hnches, to which are to be
added various tfycatchers, the humming
bird. the familiar kingfsher and sap
sucker.
Then many of the typical waders and
shore and game birds migrate back and
forth between the island and the southern
parts of this country, and various ducks
and other water fowl found there are also
common to our streams and other bodies
of water. Many of the species mentioned,
however, only occur in Cuba as accidental
StragglerS still they do occur there and
probably more frequently than has here
tofore. been supposed, owing to the fact
that collecting trips in the island We're but
rarely indulged in by our naturalists. so
the birds were not recorded. Doubtless
too, the winter ''northers' or severe north
ern winds, are wholly responsible for GER
tain birds of this country being found In
Cuba, they being actually blown over
there, whether they desired to make the
passage or not.
The list may also include a few escaped
cage birds. for the Cubans as a people are
| cages, and years ago l once visited Ha-
| vana on a West Indian steamer, where
| the entire cargo was made up of live
| birds, mammals, gold fish and other forms
| commonly kept as pets. One item was
| 10000 canaries. 1t was remarkable sight
| and without exception the smoothest five
| days trip l ever experienced. Very lucky
| for the shipper, Tor hardly a bird or an
| animal died.
But l am depressing, and what l was
| about to say, was that the majority of our
| birds that straggle over to Cuba, surely
| find themselves in the midst of a gorgeous
| l. feathered host when they arrive there.
/ say the majority because some of the
| birds of this country which have been
| found In Cuban forests in no way appear
| out of place even in contrast with the
most eXtraya gantly plumaged representa-
| tlves of the feathered race that ever poured
| forth it's song in a Cuban orange grove, as
| a bona-tide resident Of the island. AS
| single example, l may cite the scarlet
| tanager, with his brilliant scarlet body
set off with jetty wings and TAIL which
| doubtless would, were he to appear as
visitor among those palms and mango
! trees, cause many a palmer bird of the
| isle to blink with jealousy.
But tropical and subtropical birds the
world round are notoriously of brilliant
plumage, and those of Cuba form no ex-
: ception to this rule. Among these there
are met with some highly musical small
tanager-like forms that for beauty of
plumage are truly remarkable. They are
simply exquisite little feathered gems
hardly to be excciled by birds Of that
family in any part of the world. The
principal tints by " hich they are adorned
are rich shades OF orange, yellow and
| blue, set off by way Of contrast with areas
of intense shiny black. One of these
| little fellows is such accomplished
| songster that he has, in the language Of
science, been designated as Euphonia mu-
| sica. Not even lhe most casual observer
| could fail to notice these lovely little birds
| as they fit through the rich yerdure of
| the tropical Cuban forest, and surely the
| dullest Of would be charmed by their
| sweet. tunefu1 melodies.
Space will not permit even to allude to
| the many other highly plumaged small
| birds more or less nearly related to these
| tanagrine types. so hasten to pay pass
| ing tribute to the beauty of those gems
of the air-the humming birds found upon
| the island. To be sure there are but
| three species of these which occur in
| Cuba, and one of them is the same as the
| hummer Of the eastern United States.
| Still. the two indigenous species are Of
| great beauty, are all the members Of
| this remarkable ramily. We have eighteen
| species Of them In our avtfauna, but even
| this ia a ntatf