104 



Bahamas, I am satisfied that with better opportunities nearly if 

 not quite all of them would be found there, and that, instead of 

 crossing to the Gulf of Mexico as I formerly supposed, by far 

 the greater number on arriving at the River St. John or its neigh- 

 borhood fly across in a direct line to Central America, stopping 

 on their way to procure food and to rest at any of the islands 

 which lie in their way. 



Cathartes aura. Turkey buzzards were very abundant at 

 Andros, and I was told by the fishermen and wreckers that they 

 were equally so at Abaco and Grand Bahama. I saw none on 

 any of the smaller islands. I was for a long while unable to ex- 

 plain satisfactorily to myself the cause of their absence from Nas- 

 sau, as in the United States they are generally very abundant in 

 the neighborhood of the large southern cities, as Charleston and 

 Savannah for instance. This fact, I now think, is owing to their 

 inability to procure food at New Providence. All the animals 

 slaughtered there are literally devoured by the blacks ; not a mor- 

 sel, even of the entrails, is thrown away as offal, so that the 

 slaughter-houses, which at Savannah are their principal feeding 

 places, do not at Nassau offer them a mouthful of food. The 

 number of domestic animals also running at large on the island is 

 so small, that the carcasses of those dying by disease or accident 

 would only afford them an occasional supply ; and the native 

 fauna is so meagre that it is unnecessary to take it into considera- 

 tion. 



I passed several days at Grassy Creek near the southern ex- 

 tremity of Andros Island. This is one of the places where the 

 Black-mouthed Helmet (Cassis Madagascariensis) , of which cam- 

 eos are made, is procured. The shells after being brought on 

 shore are placed on scaffolds with the mouth downward, in order 

 that after the death of the animal it may fall out by its own weight. 

 These scaffolds are constantly attended by the buzzards, and they 

 can frequently be seen tugging at the protruding animal much to 

 the displeasure of the fishermen, as the birds frequently knock 

 down the shells and sometimes drag them into the bushes out of 

 sight. The name given to this bird by the inhabitants is John 

 Crow, the same as in Jamaica according to Gosse. I examined 

 several specimens but could detect no difference between them 

 and bii'ds obtained in the United States. This is not to be won- 



