15 8 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



THE RELATIONS OF THE BAHAMA FLORA. 



The Bahama Islands and the supporting banks occupy an 

 irregular triangle, the three angles of which are located 

 approximately as follows;* the northwest part of Little 

 Bahama bank, 27° 25' north latitude, 79° 10' west longi- 

 tude; the southwest part of Great Bahama bank, 23° north 

 latitude, 79° west longitude; Navidad bank a little east and 

 south of 20° north latitude, 69° west longitude. The most 

 easterly islands are, however, the Turk's Islands, about 21° 

 30' north latitude, 71° west longitude. The measurements 

 are all taken from the 100 fathom line as in most cases the 

 water abruptly deepens from generally less than 15 fathoms 

 to 100 or 200 fathoms. At the north is Little Bahama 

 bank on which is Great Bahama and Abaco islands, the latter 

 being continued along the northeast edge by a line of cays. 

 This bank is separated from Great Bahama bank by North- 

 east Providence Channel to the southeast with a least width 

 of twenty-two miles and a greatest depth of 2,222 fathoms, 

 and Northwest Providence Channel to the south with a width 

 of twenty and thirty miles at the east and west extremities 

 and a depth of 1,312 and 439 fathoms. From Florida it 

 is separated by a distance of fifty miles and a depth of 

 439 fathoms. 



Great Bahama bank is deeply indented from the north by 

 the tongue of the ocean having a depth of 740 to 1,200 

 fathoms. The westerly portion is separated from Florida 

 at the north by forty miles and a depth decreasing from 520 

 to 460 fathoms. Santarem Channel separates it from Salt 

 Cay Bank to the southwest, width thirty miles, depth 340 to 



* The hydrographic data are from United States Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey Charts, Nos. 21, 26a, 944, 946 and 947, which were kindly sent me 

 by the Hydrographer, U. S. N. 



