I I A G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. lADr 



the naturalists of the Fish Commission steamer 'Albatross,' and 

 Mr. J. L. Bonhote l has also reported on a collection of birds 

 made during the winter of 1901-02 among the northern Bahamas. 



From June 28 until July 28, the writer, in company with Messrs. 

 T. Barbour and O. Bryant, was engaged in studying the bird life 

 in the vicinity of Nassau and, more particularly, of Great Abaco, 

 Little Abaco, Great Bahama, and the chain of cays along the 

 northern shores of these latter islands. Altogether, some three 

 weeks were spent cruising among the northern Bahamas. During 

 the first week of August, Mr. Bryant also visited Andros, and a 

 few notes are here included based on his collections there. 



Among the spongers or ' conchs ' of the northern Bahamas, the 

 larger islands, — Great Abaco, Little Abaco, Great Bahama, — 

 are termed the 'Mainland,' while the fringe of small islands to 

 the north and east are the ' wind'ard ' cays, and those to the south 

 and west the 'leeward ' cays. The majority of the windward cays 

 are small islands but a few feet above tide-water, covered with 

 sand and supporting a tangled growth of scrubby bushes, palmet- 

 tos, and small trees, here and there bound together by matted 

 creepers. This is called ' coppet ' by the natives. Often there is 

 a narrow strip of more open ground just back of the beach, thinly 

 covered with coarse grass and weeds, though in other places a 

 thicket of mangroves may extend out to low-tide level or even 

 slightly beyond. Many of the smallest cays are simply jagged 

 rocks with a little grass growing here and there. 



The larger ' main ' islands support extensive tracts of open pine 

 barrens, with a thick undergrowth of vines and bushes. Clear- 

 ings have been made here and there, and pineapples, sweet pota- 

 toes, sugar cane, and other subtropical products are grown on a 

 small scale, although the soil is thin and quickly becomes ex- 

 hausted. In certain parts of these larger islands a number of 

 deciduous trees thrive and often form a fairly respectable forest. 



The seemingly barren cays afford a home for a large number of 

 birds. Sooty, Bridled, Noddy, and Roseate Terns nest in the 

 grass of the more open portions ; Wilson's Plovers haunt the sea 

 beach, and Nighthawks frequent the dry strip of open ground 



1 Bonhote: Ibis, Ser. 8, Vol. Ill, 1903, p. 273-315. 



