A CATALOGUE OF THE FISHES OF BERMUDA, WITH NOTES 



ON A COLLECTION MADE IN 1905 FOR 



THE FIELD MUSEUM. 



BY DR. TARLETON H. BEAN 



STATE FISH CLLTL'RIST OF NEW YORK. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Bermuda Islands, over three hundred in number, with their 

 outlying reefs are nearly included between the parallels of 32° 10' 

 and 32° 20' N., and between the meridians of 64° 40' and 65° W. 

 from Greenwich. The group is about 600 miles east of Cape Hat- 

 teras, and about 1,000 miles from the nearest island of the West 

 Indies. "The line of the outer reef incloses an approximately 

 elliptical area, whose major and minor axes are respectively about 

 twenty-five and about twelve miles in length. The major axis 

 trends about N. 50° E. Only a very small part of the elliptical 

 area thus described is dry land. The dry land is almost confined 

 to the south-easterly side of the ellipse, forming a narrow and 

 broken strip about fifteen miles in length, and nowhere more than 

 three miles in width. The areas of the principal islands are as 

 follows : 



ACRES 



"The Main Island ... 9,725 



St. George's Island 706 



Somerset Island 702 



David's Island 527 



Ireland Island 133 



"The whole area of dry land m the archipelago is estimated at 

 12,378 acres. .......... 



"The surface of the land is considerably diversified, though 

 nowhere attaining any great elevation. The highest hills are only 

 about 250 feet above the level of the sea. 



"In consequence of the small extent of the land both horizon- 

 tally and vertically, and the extreme porosity of the rock of which 

 it is composed, there are no springs, streams, or lakes of fresh water 



