the fact should be remarked upon, though here the
species differs somewhat from those referred to, being known as the
Jack-crow or turkey-buzzard. In the far East, like the vulture, the
crow is considered a natural scavenger or remover of carrion, and the
same excuse is made for him in Cuba and Florida. But is he not more of
a freebooter and feathered bandit,--in short, a prowling thief
generally? Nature has few birds or animals upon her varied list with
which we would find fault, but the crow,--well, having nothing to say
in its favor, let us drop the subject. Parrots, paroquets, tiny indigo
birds, pedorevas, and robins,--yes, these are all in harmony with
mingled fragrance and sunshine, but the coal-black crow, with his bad
habits and hoarse bird-profanity, bah! When these West Indian islands
were first settled by Spanish emigrants, they were the home of myriads
of birds of every tropical variety, but to-day the feathered beauties
and merry songsters have been entirely driven away from some of the
smaller islands, and decimated on others, by the demand for bird's
wings with which to deck ladies' bonnets in Europe and America.
Sportsmen have found it profitable to visit the tropics solely for the
purpose of shooting these rainbow-colored creatures for ornaments.
Aside from the loss to general interest and beauty in nature caused by
this wholesale destruction of the feathered tribe, another and quite
serious result has been the consequence. A plague of vermin has
followed the withdrawal of these little insect-killers. It is so
natural to look for them amid such luxuriant vegetation that they
become conspicuous by their absence. Now and again, however, the ears
are gratefully saluted by the trilling and sustained notes of some
hidden songster, whose music is entirely in tune with the surrounding
loveliness, but truly delightful song-birds have ever been rare in the
low latitudes, where there is more of color than song.

Those agriculturists who possess sufficient means confine themselves
solely to the raising of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, the former
principally employing capital. Indian corn, which the first settlers
found indigenous here, is quite neglected, and when raised at all it
is used before ripening, almost universally, as green fodder; very
little is ripened and gathered as grain. It is found that horses and
cattle can be kept in good condition and strength, while performing
the usual labor required of them,