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th:e popular science monthly. 



stands alone, it is usually so much undermined that it resembles a low 

 table with a single huge leg. There is a large perforation through 

 the rocks at the southern extremity of Abaco, known as the " glass 

 window," and also several submarine passages extending from one 

 side of the island to the other. The rain carves grotesque forms out 

 of the soft stone. This is sometimes coarsely honeycombed, or bris- 

 tles all over with pinnacles or miniature chimneys, which are sharp as 

 knife-edges, and compel you to use much caution in walking. 



Fig. 3.— Two characteristic Coral Kuy^ as seen from orr thk NoExnEAST Coast op Abaco. 

 (The tallest troea are Cocoanut Palms. The eroded table-shaped rock between the islauds is 

 from a sketch made at another point.) 



The dark-green foliage of the keys is frequently bordered by white, 

 glistening lines, indicating beaches of coral-sand, which reflect the 

 sun's rays with great power. Cocoanut palms find foothold along the 

 shores, growing spontaneously from nuts cast up by the waves. In 

 going northward from Green Turtle we pass successively Crab, Fiddle, 

 Mun Jack, Ambergris, Spanish, Pensacola, Umbrella, Fish, Carter, Joe 

 Keys, etc., and, in an opposite direction. Pelican Key, Xo Name Key, 

 Great Guana Key, and numerous others. 



The sharp contrast between the ordinary " white water " of the bay 

 and the deep blue of the sea beyond the reefs, is very striking. The 

 irregular black patches seen everywhere in the channel are due to algae 

 or similar plants growing on the bottom. The sea-floor between Abaco 

 and the reefs is elsewhere covered with the white coral-sand which 

 causes a marvelously brilliant color-efi^ect in strong lights, the tints 

 ranging from the richest emerald to a transparent greenish-white. 



Numerous sea-fowl show themselves as we sail past their haunts : 

 brown pelican, standing immovable like statues on the rocks, but sud- 

 denly expanding into birds of astonishing size ; men-of-war or frigate 

 birds, whose dark, cleanly-cut forms are strongly silhouetted against 

 the sky ; flocks of black-headed gulls, standing in military order, each 

 facing the same way, on the rocks, rise and whirl off at our ap])roach. 



At Fish Key we found a large colony of the sooty terns [Sterna 

 fuligtjiosa), or "egg-bird," as the natives call them, just beginning to 

 breed. This is a collection of wild-looking rocks, rising ten or fifteen 

 feet above the sea like a row of petrified sand-dunes, which in reality 

 they probably are, and covered with low shrubbery, grasses, and vines. 



