162 Rambles of a Naturalist in Southern Florida. 



many carrying umbrellas — for my friends must remember that the 

 thermometer stands from eighty to ninety degrees above in the shade. 

 Of greater, moment to me, however, were the fruits exposed at every 

 corner ; here were oranges, lemons, bananas, shaddocks, bread-fruit, 

 sapodillas, and their cheapness was quite as astonishingas their nov- 

 elty and richness. The Flora of this island is West Indian and 

 tropical. The Key, six miles long and one wide, affords a number of 

 indigenous species also ; but in the whole country no one can be 

 found who has worked up its botany. I noticed several varieties of 

 cactus. The Gadacece and Pahnacece are common. I saw, growing 

 wild, flowers that bore a remarkable resemblance to some at home, 

 preserved with tender care in greenhouses. Scattered through the 

 island are date and cocoa-nut palms. The Fauna is rich, but not 

 numerous in species. Rambling down the beach, I was rewarded by 

 finding such forms as Nerita peloronta, N. scabricoda, Lit. scabra, Cerith. 

 nigrum, and stranded by the recent blow, were the lanthina fragilis, 

 Physalia, Dosinia disciis, Lucina tigerina and others. The small 

 hermit crab {Eupagiirus longicarpus) are abundant in the Cerithiums 

 and Littorinas, while the larger species (E. poUicaris), api)ropriate 

 larger shells for their dwellings, such as Fasc. distans, Trocus, etc. 

 Walking along the shore, the ear is greeted by a peculiar, rattling 

 noise, which is caused by the fiddle crab (Gelashmis pugilator). This 

 variety exists in thousands, and occupy little holes in the sand. If 

 caught outside by an enemy, they instantly retreat, taking good care 

 to keep their houses uppermost. It is truly a comical sight to witness 

 their movements. The posterior part of the body is perfectly soft and 

 naked, and finding an empty shell suited to their purpose, they never 

 abandon it until they find a better shell. The horse-shoe crab (^Limu- 

 hts pohjphemus) may be found in from one to two feet of water. 

 Occasionally I found a stray sea-urchin {Echinus). Beautiful Alg(^. 

 float upon the beach. Part of the Key is uncultivated and being 

 overgrown with mangroves, cactus, etc., affords a good retreat for 

 land shells. The following are abundant: H. cereolus, H. orbiculata, 

 Gylindrella Jejuna, Chondropoma dentata; in less numbers I found 

 Macroceramus Kinieri, and Bulimas undatus. Near some brackish 

 ponds my efforts were rewarded by specimens of Tralia Floridana, 

 Tralia cingtdata, and Cerithidea. Having worked up the species here, 

 including Truncatella bilabiata, which are very abundant, myself and 

 party sailed in an eight-ton schooner for the Marquesas and Tortugas. 

 At the first named place, we obtained the following shells, Melongena 

 corona, Melampus cofea, L. scabra, Area Americana, Mytihis hamatus, 

 Fasc. distans, F. iulipa, and F. gigantea, Pyrula perversa, Strombus 



