126 FLORA OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND ANDROS 



{Paurotis Androsana) were occasionally seen; all were of small size. 

 Toward the southern end of the island the mangroves sometimes at- 

 tained considerable size and formed the most prominent feature of 

 the landscape. This desolate, uninhabited region is a paradise for 

 water birds, which were found here in great numbers. The flamingoes 

 were the most interesting, and these we often saw while on the west 

 side of the island. 



I have described the botanical regions in such detail because since 

 we collected in the Bahamas many of the localities we visited have been 

 destroyed, botanically speaking, by being cleared for the cultivation of 

 sisal. The work was just beginning when we were there, a few sisal 

 plantations having been started on both New Providence and Andros. 

 Several years later thousands of acres had been cleared and planted 

 with sisal. For this purpose both coppet and pine barrens were avail- 

 able, but not the swash. Large companies were formed, a great amount 

 of money was spent in clearing and planting, in making roads, and I 

 believe even a small railroad was built on Andros. It was confidently 

 expected that large fortunes would be made, but after three or four 

 years' trial these hopes proved to be visionary, and I have since heard 

 that many of the plantations have been given up and the land allowed 

 to lapse into its former wild state. It is highly probable, however, that 

 the flora of Andros has suffered more or less change through the exten- 

 sive clearing and the probable introduction of cosmopolitan weeds. 



Previous Collectors 



Mark Catesby explored and collected along the southern Atlantic 

 coast from 1731 to 1743 and during that time made a trip to the Baha- 

 mas, visiting New Providence and also touching incidentally at Andros. 

 Some of the plants he collected were figured in his "Natural History of 

 Carolina," published in 1754. The next record we have of Bahaman 

 plants were the collections sent to Sir William Hooker by Mr. Swainson 

 between 1838 and 1842. These were described by Grisebach and in- 

 corporated in his "Flora of the British West Indies," published in 1864. 

 Less than two hundred species were there recorded from the Bahamas. 

 Between 1880 and 1887 Mr. L. J. K. Brace, of Nassau, sent to Kew 

 through Governor Robinson a large number of Bahaman plants. A 

 list of these has been incorporated in a Provisional List of the Plants 



