Narrative of Bahama Expedition. 113 



gating dock. Probably the most important structure about 

 the fort is the light-house, which, with its neighbor on Logger- 

 head Key, saves many a vessel from going onto the treacher- 

 ous reefs and shallows abounding in the adjacent waters. 



The fort is surrounded by a sea-wall enclosing a broad and 

 shallow moat, which we ultimately discovered was nothing 

 more or less than a magnificent aquarium stocked with inter- 

 esting marine forms. An ample supply of fresh sea-water is 

 brouo'ht in with everv tide. The enclosed water is smooth 

 and unruffled bv the wind, affording a sheltered home for 

 countless animals of the more lowly kinds, and furnishing one 

 of the very best opportunities for collecting and study that we 

 encountered during our cruise. 



Almost all of Garden Key is occupied by the fort, and from 

 it can be seen the larger islets of the Tortugas group. A 

 little south of west lies the largest. Loggerhead Key, which 

 appears to be about a mile in length, and supports consider- 

 able vegetation, most of which is the result of the thrifty 

 efforts of the light-keepers and their families. There is a 

 comfortable house surrounded by fruit-trees of several kinds. 

 The island is bordered on the inside by extensive shallows. 

 The next largest Key, Bird Key, lies to the south-west of the 

 fort, and is much nearer than Loggerhead Key. It is almost 

 covered with a thick growth of wiry bushes, among which 

 are placed the nests of multitudes of noddy terns and •• agg 

 birds," or bridled terns. The birds rise in clouds on the 

 approach of man, having suffered often from the incursions of 

 egg collectors. 



Several photographs were taken of these flocks of sea-birds, 

 but the result was a surprise to all who had seen the birds 

 themselves. In one of the most successful of these photo- 

 graphs only about sixty birds can be counted. Those who 

 had seen the flock as it appeared when the exposure was 

 made, would have described it by saying that the birds rose 

 in a cloud; that there were thousands of them in the field 

 exposed to the camera. Any one who has fired with a shot- 

 gun at a flock of flying birds has noticed that he is likelv to 



