CHAPTEK XV. 



The Coral Isles the Home of Beautiful Birds. Their Scarcity in Nassau, 

 and its Causes. The Necessity of Legal Enactments to Protect the Birds. 

 The Flamingo. The Bahama Mocking Bird. A Bri^f Account of the Visi- 

 tant and Resident Birds of the Balmmas. 



' ' The birds, gi'eat nature's happy commoners, 



That haunt in woods, in meads and flowery gardens, 



Rifle the sweets, and taste the choicest fruits, 



Yet scorn to ask the lordly owner's leave." — Rowe. 



The islands and keys of the Bahamas furnish every year, for a 

 longer or shorter period of time, a pleasant and appropriate home 

 for a great variety of birds, some quite rare, and many very beau- 

 tiful. And yet, at Nassau, the absence of bird life is very notice- 

 able. Surrounded by perpetual verdure, and inhaling in mid- 

 winter the softest airs of a northern June, Ave naturally expected 

 to be awakened at day break, or to have our morning dreams 

 shaped and colored by the rich and rare music of feathered song- 

 sters. But we were doomed to disappointment, and had to be 

 satisfied Avith the unmusical vocalism of hungry roosters. 



The cities of Florida in this respect are eminently superior, 

 and upon landing, both at Fernandina and at Jacksonville, noth- 

 ing impressed us more than the bird melody Avith Avhich the air 

 resounded. The turkey buzzard, that important member of the 

 Sanitary Boards of our Southern cities, performs no scaA-enger 

 duties at Nassau. Dr. Bryant states that it is abundant upon 

 the islands of Andros, Abaco, and Grand Bahama, and he at- 



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