BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 25 



the difficulties of their transportation to the coast. I was told that 

 ambergris used to be found in considerable quantities along the 

 sliores, but is now scarce. Several species of birds were taken on 

 this island which we did not find elsewhere. Amono- them were the 

 rare Kirtland's Warbler {Dendroeca kirtlandii) and the beautiful little 

 Humming-bird {Sporadimis rccordi). 



Sandpipers, Plovers, Tattlers, Oyster-catchers, etc., were abun. 

 dant. Turkey Buzzards were common, and it is a curious fact that 

 although this species is very plentiful on Andros Island and at 

 Abaco, none are to be found on the other islands, except, perhaps, 

 an occasional straggler. 



The island presents about the same appearance throughout ; its 

 rocky shore is inhabited only by a few settlements of negroes, who 

 live in the most primitive manner, in their thatch-roofed houses, 

 surrounded by their cocoanuts and bananas, seeming as happy and 

 contented as possible. The people are friendly and obliging, and, 

 for a small consideration, will make themselves very useful to the 

 sportsman. 



Although there are several good-sized villages on the eastern 

 shore of the island, as there are no white inhabitants, provisions arc 

 very difficult to procure. Even eggs are scarce, and command a 

 high price, the negroes often coming off to the vessel, bringing one 

 or two eggs carefully packed in leaves, for which they demand 

 from four to five cents apiece. Fruit can be obtained everywhere. 

 We often purchased bunches of bananas for twenty or twenty-five 

 cents which were so large as to require all our strength to lift them ; 

 and other fruits were proportionately cheap. 

 4 



