66 THE NAUTILUS. 



Klux clothed in full regalia, its robe flowing irregularly down 

 its body and ending above in a comical, twisted headgear. 

 There are two projections on its eastern side, the southernmost 

 being a considerable island at high tide but connected when the 

 water is low, and the whole is called " Doctor's harm " (arm). 

 A long strip of swamp stretches southward from its southeast 

 corner which suddenly turns to the westward and the projection 

 is called "The helbow." All the island except the long strip 

 on the south is oolitic limestone, the latter part being an old 

 coral reef and a part of the upper chain which ends with the 

 nearby Newfound Harbor Keys. 



One who visits the islands for the purpose of collecting tree 

 snails may be said to almost be ' ' between the devil and the 

 deep sea." It is probable that not more than 35 inches of rain 

 fall yearly on a considerable area of the Lower Keys, and the 

 greater part of this comes in the warmer season. During the 

 drier part of the year what few arboreal snails still remain on 

 the keys hide away in holes or crevices of the trees or even 

 deep under rocks so that it is well nigh impossible to find them. 

 This is the period which is supposed to be free from mosquitos 

 and the only one during which a collector can have any com- 

 fort. During the warm season when most of the rain falls the 

 keys are generally an inferno caused by these insects. Sand 

 flies are in order at all times of the year. I generally go the 

 latter part of October, hoping to find the mosquitos departing 

 and the snails still somewhat active, and come back early in 

 November. 



On a recent visit to the keys I stopped as usual on Big Pine 

 and made my way back on the railroad to the " helbow " where 

 a noble piece of hammock, covering perhaps forty acres or 

 more, once stood. Part of it was long ago cleared and planted 

 but later abandoned. Charcoal burners have cut the best of the 

 timber for their business and hurricanes have wrought great de- 

 struction in it, as it is in a badly exposed locality. 



Between the railroad embankment and the hammock a tide- 

 way, about twenty feet wide and three feet deep, drained the 

 great swamp into the open sea. I would either have to wade 

 it and get my clothes wet or take off trowsers, shoes and leggins 



