iSqi.l Northrop 07i ihr Tii}(h of Androt^ /afavcf. OZ 



spread before liiin thousands of acres of level plain, supporting 

 scarcely any vegetation except countless dw^arf mangroves. Here 

 the ground is soft, and in v\'et weather almost entirely under 

 water ; hence the peculiar appropriateness of the local term 

 'swash.' Such is a brief description of the physical features of 

 Andros. As might naturally be supposed, the coppet proved the 

 best collecting ground for land birds, while the swash, and the 

 lakes it contained, were well stocked with many aquatic species. 



Althougli Andros is the largest of the Bahama Islands, it seems 

 never to have been thoroughly explored by naturalists. The 

 first record of Bahama birds is given by Catesby* who visited 

 Andros. In 1859 ^"^^ again in 1S66 Dr. Bryant made a collect- 

 ing trip through the Bahamas and published the results in the 

 'Proceedings' of the Boston Society of Natural History. His two 

 papers are devoted to ornithology and contain several references 

 to Andros. Mr. C. J. Maynard in 18S4 spent some time on 

 Andros and has published a few notes on its birds and described 

 some new species. t Mr. Corv has also made an ornithological 

 trip through the Bahamas, during which he visited the eastern 

 coast of Andros. The results of his work are published in a well 

 illustrated volume entitled the 'Birds of the Bahama Islands.' Mr. 

 Ingraham has also visited Andros, but I have been unable to find 

 any notes by him on its avifauna. These, I believe, are the only 

 naturalists who have ever honored Andros with a visit. 



As this island is separated from both Florida and Cuba by 

 nearly the same distance (about one hundred and twenty miles) 

 the writer thought that a collection of its birds might prove in- 

 teresting. It may, however, be well to state that the object of 

 the visit to Andros was not to make a collection of birds, and 

 that lack of time and assistance prevented us from obtaining 

 larger series. Before going to Andros, some time was spent 

 on the island of New Providence, the western end of which 

 is about twenty-five miles from the nearest point of Andros. 

 There a few birds were collected, and these will be referred to in 

 the list that follows. I was accompanied during the trip by Mrs. 

 Northrop, who made notes on the occurrence of the birds, and 

 more particularly on their songs and habits ; and many thanks 

 are due her for aid in the preparation of this paper. 



*Nat. Hist, Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. 

 fAmerican Exchange and Mart and Household Journal, Vol. HI. 



