404 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



similar to that of the other islands, but more cacti of several kinds 

 were noted, and the high coppet in which the parrots breed attains 

 almost the dignity of a forest, many of the trees being large enough 

 to afford nesting cavities. 



Leaving Acklin Island on March 8, we stood across to Fortune 

 Island, anchoring ofT the settlement to leave passengers and mails, 

 but finally got away at one-thirty P.M. on March 9. A heavy wind 

 blew up from the east, so we ran in to the Crooked Island anchorage 

 to wait for better weather for the long run of about seventy miles, 

 through the open ocean, here from twelve hundred to two thousand 

 fathoms deep, which in a heavy wind gets up a nasty sea. We left 

 the anchorage at ten P.M., and as soon as we passed around Bird 

 Rock we encountered strong winds and heavy seas, and although we 

 kept going, we had a very rough and uncomfortable night, the little 

 "Whisper" shipping one large sea, which nearly carried both helmsman 

 and compass overboard, and we had difficulty in holding ourselves in 

 the berths below, not to think of sleeping. At sunrise on March i 

 there were mountains of water on all sides, and no land in sight, 

 but Watlings Island was finally sighted at eight-thirty, Sandy Point 

 passed at ten o'clock, and anchor dropped off Cockburn Town at 

 noon. We were welcomed by Mr. C. G. Rigby, the resident magis- 

 trate, and given a comfortable room at his house, and our thanks are 

 due him for numerous favors. The surface of this island is broken 

 and hilly, much like that of New Providence, and covered with the same 

 kind of coppet, but there is no pine barren. A large salt water lake 

 takes up the greater part of the middle portion of the island, visited 

 by several species of ducks, and the home of one or more rookeries of 

 Mexican Cormorants. Bordering the lake are large patches of man- 

 grove swamp, affording shelter for Bahama Yellow Warblers, Mary- 

 land Yellow-throats, Bahama Green Herons, and Bahama Clapper 

 Rails. There is an outer sand-beach in most places, affording a feeding 

 ground for shore-birds. Large magnolia trees near the landing at 

 Riding Rock, and cabbage palms scattered over the northwestern 

 portion of the island, nearly all show the work of woodpeckers. 

 Maynard Cuckoos and Pearly-eyed Thrashers were found in the dense 

 coppet. West Indian Grebes in the small ponds back of the beach, 

 while Zenaida Doves were common about the cultivated tracts. The 

 Bahama Duck breeds here about the grassy edges of the ponds. 

 There seemed to be a notable scarcity of certain of the smaller birds 



