36 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



are long and narrow and that their axis is parallel 

 with the edge of the Gulf Stream while the islands 

 of the lower group are very different both in shape 

 and arrangement. The eastern islands of the 

 lower group are somewhat elongated but they lie 

 across the axis of the chain. Those on the west 

 are very irregular in form, constituting a small but 

 amazingly complicated archipelago, in which there 

 seems to be no systematic alignment whatever. 

 A careful inspection of the charts will also show 

 that the upper chain of islands apparently blends 

 with the lower group leaving as doubtful in their 

 true relationship Bahia Honda, the West Summer- 

 land Keys, a narrow strip of land belonging to 

 the southern end of Big Pine Key, and the New- 

 found Harbor Keys. With the latter keys, 

 however, the upper chain seems positively to 

 end. 



The upper islands are an old coral reef formerly 

 built along the edge of the great peninsular pla- 

 teau. It was subsequently raised slightly, so 

 naturally the chain consists of long, narrow islands 

 running parallel with the Gulf Stream. I feel sure 

 that the lower group of keys is a remnant of what 

 was once a single large island which lay along the 



