BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 21 



CHAPTER III. 



EXUMA KEYS. 



January 6. — Tlie sea was as calm as a mill-pond, hardly rippled 

 by the light breeze, \vhich was barely sufficient to propel our vessel 

 with sufficient speed to prevent her drifting upon the reefs. We had 

 arrived in sight of Highburn Key, and as we moved slowly along 

 within a short distance of the shore, we examined it with the pleasant 

 anticipation which any naturalist experiences upon the first sight of 

 a little-known land. The island appeared deserted ; not a bird was 

 in sight, and the song of a single Mocking-bird, borne faintly to us 

 from the interior, was the only sound that broke the almost perfect 

 stillness. I had hoped to find birds abundant here, but after 

 rambling over the key for several hours, and finding only a few 

 Mockingbirds and Honey Creepers, we returned to the boat, rather 

 dissatisfied with our first excursion. These keys, although rarely 

 visited, are very pretty. Cocoanuts and bananas abound, and can 

 be generally obtained, conchs arc abundant, and fair fishing is to 

 be had ; but these little islands, which, later in the season, are 

 fairly covered with bird life, are almost deserted in winter. 



Norman's Key, Shroud Key, etc., passed in succession, showing 

 the same geological formation and desolate appearance. On some 

 of them, birds were common, but appeared to be confined to two or 



