173 
REPORT ON THE BOTANICAL aa 
OF THE ISLANDS OF THE SALT 
NK, BAHAMAS. 
Dr, N. L. Britton, Director-in- Chief. 
Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a report upon the 
recent expedition to the islands of the Salt Key Bank 
The main object of this trip was to obtain herbarium specimens 
and living plants to aid in the comparative study of the flora of 
this small group of islands of the southwestern part of the Baha- 
mian archipelago with that of northern Cuba 
At your suggestion, I left New York by Ward Line Steamer 
“Vigilancia,” at 4 P.M., May 7, 1909, and arrived at Nassau, 
w Providence, on the morning of the eleventh. 
Here a day and a half was given to outfitting, and I was fortu- 
nate in securing the codperation of Mr. Lewis Brace, who ren- 
dered valuable assistance on the expedition sent to the Bahamas 
in November, 1907. 
aking pagans of a fair wind to sail northward, we left- 
Nassau late in the afternoon of May 12, and the following after- 
noon anchored under the lea of Riding Rocks, south of the 
Bemini Islands, during a heavy sea and squally weather. 
e herbaceous plants obtained at this point were for the 
greater part fleshy and are mostly the same as those met with on 
other West Indian and Florida coasts. The few woody plants, 
being subject to strong winds, were low and more or less pros- 
trate and afford an excellent shelter to the various sea-birds 
which collect here during the breeding season 
Sailing at day-break on the morning of the fourteenth, we were 
again obliged to lay to off Orange Key, seventeen miles to the 
south, until early in the evening. This is the southernmost islet 
on this side of the Great Bahama Bank and is of little interest 
botanically. The sea-purslane (Sesuzwun Portulacastrum) was 
the only flowering plant found here, and from all appearances it 
has spay established itself in three or four places, on the more 
elevated part: 
Early in i evening of May 14, while preparing for our voyage 
