THE BOTANY OF ANTIGUA 49 



into the smelling mud in vast numbers ; while on the firmer soil 

 around are the large openings to the tunnels of the well-known 

 land crabs. Wading birds such as yellowlegs, ringed plover, 

 gaulins, etc., are common ; but I have not found any plants which 

 might be considered to have been brought by them from other 

 islands, though such plants might be expected to occur chiefly in 

 these muddy situations. 



2. The Littoral Ecgion.- — This may be eitlier a beach of white 

 coral sand, such as is seen to perfection in James Bay, where a 

 ridge of sand about 150 feet across separates the surf from a 

 mangrove lagoon ; or else a rocky shore continually drenched 

 with salt spray, examples of wdiich are well seen in the north of 

 the island, especially on Iguana Island. 



The sandy shore, which is composed almost entirely of coral 

 and shell debris, all of w^hich is calcium carbonate; has a well- 

 defined Plant Association, almost as characteristic as the Man- 

 grove Association. The trees, which flourish here in abundance, 

 are the Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella), the Seaside Grape 

 {Coccoloba uvifera), and the Seaside Mahoe [Thespesia populnea), 

 all of which are undoubtedly part of the aboriginal Flora ; to 

 these the Coconut may be added. The shrubs include Yucca 

 aloifolia (Spanish Needles), the Grey Nicker [Ccesalpinia bondu- 

 cella), perhaps the Black and Brown Nickers, the Coco Plum 

 {Chrysobalanus Icaco), and one or two shrubby Papilionatee which 

 I have not identified. Among the herbs which are commonly 

 found are Euphorbia buxifolia, Ipomcea pes-caprce, Sesuvium 

 portulacastrum, the hardy Batis maritnna, Devil's or Bahamas 

 Grass (Cynodon Dactylon), occasional examples of Burr Grass 

 [Cenchrus tribuloides), and a kind of Marram Grass. Portulaca 

 oleracea is very common as a w^eed in cultivated sandy soils, but 

 does not appear to grow actually on the sea shore like the rest. 

 Several Cassias belong to this Association, C. ligustrina being 

 common ; while the ubiquitous Dagger [Agave americana) also 

 occurs on the sand. 



The Plant Association for the rocks is less constant in 

 character, but it includes such typical forms as Sophora tomcntosa 

 and the Seaside Tansy {Borrichia arborescens). The Loblolly 

 (Pisonia subcordata) belongs here, although it sometimes occurs 

 also on the sand, and close to the Mangroves in the swamps. 

 Pimenta acris and the local " Wattle " are limestone plants which 

 grow near the sea, wdiile the widely-spread Prickly Pear and 

 Turk's Head Cactus may also be classed here. 



Some mention may be made of the limestone cliffs in Barbuda 

 at Two Foot Bay, which are exposed to the full blast of the 

 Atlantic ; they have a most interesting Flora which would repay 

 careful study (as indeed would that of the whole of Barbuda) ; 

 the only member I was able to identify in a short visit was 

 Conocarpus pjrociimbcns, which is not found in Antigua. The 

 Flora at Two Foot Bay is unlike anything else in Barbuda and 

 Antigua, or in the other islands which I have come across, the 

 nearest approach to it being that found on certain precipitous 



