GENERAL IMPRESSIONS. 9 



is the wealth of our fields and pastures. Plenty of grasses 

 there are, it is true, but they are in most places thin and weak. 

 Only here and there in the deep and open hollows, as in the 

 neighborhood of the "marshes," do they show anything like 

 luxuriance of growth. It should, however, be stated that in 

 mam^ sheltered limestone hollows, as well as along similarly 

 protected rock-ledges, the vegetation is wonderfully profuse, 

 interwoven and intermatted so as to render penetration almost 

 impossible. The coffee-tree thicket back of Joyce's cave, and 

 the convolvulus cave close bj% are wonderful exhibitions of this 

 kind ; and likewise the tract about Walsingham. But over the 

 greater part of the island one may sing his pseans to the sage 

 (Lantana), which has virtually taken possession of the soil, a 

 not very attractive nor delightfully odorous plant. 



Our headquarters during our brief stay at the Bermudas 

 were at the Flatts Village, a small assortment of neat houses 

 and cottages situated at the entrance to Harrington Sound. 

 A strong current passes here at high-water into the inner basin, 

 bringing in much sediment from the open sea, and with it a 

 rich assortment of animal life. The low-water sands constitute 

 one of the best collecting grounds of the archipelago, excepting, 

 of course, the outer reefs, and the under surface of almost everj'^ 

 stone offered something for our collections. We were fortunate 

 to discover here a- new species of cuttle-fish {Octopus chromatus) 

 characterized by unusually attenuated tentacles ; but, beyond 

 two other individuals of another species which we failed to ob- 

 tain, this was the only representative of this order of animals 

 with which we came in contact during the entire journey. Yet, 

 they are said to be speciallj' abundant just among the rock 

 crevices of Flatts Inlet. 



It is wonderful with what tenacity these animals hold on to 

 their anchorages when a forcible attempt is made to eject them 

 from their shelters. We in vain tried by both coaxing and 

 pulling to dislodge one of these interesting creatures, but, de- 

 spite the havoc made by chopping the enveloping rock, we 



