A resident of Birdland, an imaginary Caribbean island, sends letters to an old friend recounting the island`s history, which includes the Spanish Inquisition, the systematic extinction of much of the local fauna, and a love story involving a foundling named Phosphor and his beloved, the beautiful daughter of Professor Tardanza. At the same time, the letter writer describes his love for Polly, a naturalist and artist whose drawings are reproduced in the text.