464 



A. II Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



common as a fossil in the reolian limestone all over the islands, even 

 on the highest hills, and is often seen loose, where the soft rock has 

 decayed. More often it may be seen carried about on the backs of 

 the large land hermit-crabs, whose ancestors, many thousands of 

 years ago, carried these same shells inland from the shores to the 

 ancient sand hills. (See chapter on Geology and figure.) But this 

 occurrence of the broken shells in the kitchen refuse, would indicate 

 that this West Indian " Whelk" was living in these waters in 1812. 

 (See Part III, ch. 32, and ch. 46, Geology.) 



Figure 22a. — The Land Hermit-crab (Cenobita diogenes) carrying fossil marine 



shell (Livona) on its back. 



Part II. — Physiography ', including Meteorology, etc. 

 1 . — Geographical Position. 



The dry land of the Bermudas is mostly included between N. Lat. 

 32° 15' and 32° 23' and W. Long. 64° 39' and 64° 53'. But the reef 

 areas extend between 32° 12' and 32° 30', N. Lat. ; and between 

 64° 34' and ij»° 02' W. Long. 



These islands are remarkable for their isolation from any other 

 lands, and the depth of the ocean around them. 



I am indebted to Professor S. L. Penfield for the following mea- 

 surements of distances on the maps made according to his new- 

 method of stereographic projection. They are believed to be much 

 more accurate than those hitherto given : 



Bermuda to New York, 



" Cape Hatteras, 



" Martha's Vineyard, 615 



Cape Cod, 620 



Cape Sable, N. S., 675 

 Great Abaca Is., Bahamas, 715 



Porto Rico, 830 



675 nautical miles. 

 575 



