Al.LKN AND RAKBOFR 



"watchinir it with a w aterglass, until, when a mniiher of specimens 

 were busy about the bait, it was closeil with a jei"k of tlie hue and 

 hauleil to tlie surface. 



At tlic kiml invitation of .Mr. Aithiii- II. XicM, of the Sisal Fiber 

 Company, we spent two most |)leasant ihiys at the e.xtensive jilanta- 

 tion on Little Abaco. Here we had an opportunity to observe the 

 preparation of the iiber and to collect a number of land animals and 

 ])lants in the vicinity of the village of Cooling Tem])er. Not far 

 away, near the villatje of Tar ]Jott(»m is a larije, almost circular lake, 

 of great depth w hose water, fresh at the surface, is salty at a slight 

 distance down. There is .sup]»oscd t() be some subteiTanean connec- 

 tion with the sea; for it is not unusual to find large sea tish and 

 sometimes turtles in tlu' lake. 



Leaving Little .\l»ai-o on July 11th, after making a short stoj) near 

 C'e«lar Harbor to e.xamine a series of caves, we stood off for the Pen- 

 sacola Cays. Here we spent several days in dredging and slioi'e-col- 

 lecting. We made Moraine Cay our head(piarters and from here we 

 made several short e.xcursions to neighlioring islets. This island is 

 a great roosting place for the pige(His anil iiumliers also nest among 

 the bushes. ""I'hey feed during the day on llie nearby islands and 

 return to Moraine ('ay to spend the night. This bird is tlie coni- 

 nion West Indian white-crowned pigeon {('ohimba lenvocephnhf). 



Before •"> \. m. of the 14th we were off for Stranger Cay. 'I'he 

 wind fell to an almost dead calm and before long a terrific tropical 

 thunder s(piall was on us. The rain canu' dow n in blinding sheets 

 and the wind l>lew a gale. .lust as the storm altateil we made out 

 two watt'rspouts soiui' miles to seaward. The wind ln'M favorable 

 and as we ran along bet'ore it we passi-il I''isli Cays where a great 

 multitu<le ot' sea l)irds rose ai\d circled aliout shrilly screaming. 

 This is a t'a\(>ritt' placi' for the spongers to " I'gg up" liefore a 

 cruise; and it was e\i<lent that the liii'ds had no love for intruders. 

 About the middle of the afternoon we arrived at Stranger Cay, 

 where owing to i-xti-nsixc shoals w i' had to lie otT about half a 

 mile from shoi'e. Mere there was a <U'Ser1i''l ho\ise. the only 

 sign of human haliitation since leaving Litlle .\liaco. ( )n this 

 island, moreover, the soil sei'ineil to ln' lu'tti'r suitt'<l for cultiva- 

 tion than the meager Itit of sand on nu>st ot' the other "I,»'eward 

 Cavs." The nu)S(piitoes were very troul)lesoine and as the island 

 was not a particularlv rich collecting tii'ld w f were not sorry when 



