^_|. Natural History Buli.i'/hn. 



the coarse woody stems, and spotted with the brightest of 

 small orange flowers. These and some others formed high, 

 almost impassable thickets, and over them trailed the moon- 

 flower, with its delicate, evanescent white blooms, and several 

 varieties of leguminose climbers, and a beautiful reddish 

 passion-flower. 



•• In the sandv. open places, bristled the prickly-pear cactus, 

 with its yellow flowers and globose fruits, and near these was 

 found one of the most beautiful of the LcgiiJii/iioscv. a trailing 

 pea-vine with showy lavender blossoms almost two inches long. 

 We also recognized many of our northern ' weeds.' — the ver- 

 N'ain. with its purple spikes, and the purslane, with its fleshy 

 leaves and quickly perishing yellow flowers; the CafscUa, 

 or common shepherd's purse; the Solauiiiii. or night-shade, 

 with its starry flowers of white or lilac or pinkish, and round, 

 poisonous berries; a milk-weed, with pale greenish white 

 blossoms, and its near relative the .'l/cv'rv//-'/w. or Indian hemp: 

 the showy Ar^rniojic inexicana, with prickly leaves like a 

 thistle and a flaring yellow flower; the spider-w^orts, with their 

 purple three parted flowers and grass-like leaves, and even the 

 pestiferous sand-burr. The composites are also represented. 



" Among cultivated fruit trees were the lemon, lime, orange, 

 sapodilla. mango, papaw and guava." 



The party detailed to visit Little ^^^ Island returned with 

 abundant collections. Noddy and bridled terns were numer- 

 ous and tame. The former is known throughout the British 

 West Indies as the " egg bird."' and is far more abundant in 

 most reiiions than any other bird. Its rookeries are often 

 visited by the natives for the purpose of collecting the eggs, 

 which are full}' as lai-ge as the diminutive excuse for a hen's 

 ^^^ usualh' found on these islands. 



The coral rock of which this and all the other Bahama 

 Islands is composed, is worn and weathered into a bristling 

 array of sharp points, rendering walking a dangerous opera- 

 tion, and destroying the stoutest shoes in a remarkably short 

 time. The rocks generally overhang the water with jagged 

 points, making a troublesome landing for boats except in very 



