APPENDIX 



487 



entirely, restricted to the uninhabited islands of Long Cay and Greater 

 Sand Cay. In the last named they are particularly abundant, in 

 spite of the fact that numbers are captured by fishing parties of the 

 coloured natives from Salt Cay and Grand Turk that from time to 

 time make a brief sojourn there. The fruits of Genipa clusiifolia 

 (Seven-year Apple) are evidently appreciated by these reptiles; 

 and it is remarked, when dealing with this plant, that the two islands 

 now frequented by them are just those where the Seven-year Apple 

 grows in greatest quantity. Reference has already been made 

 (p. 277) to the allusion to the iguanas of the Turks Islands in the 

 Annual Register of 1764 (Watkins). As a change from salt-pork, 

 we are told that the flesh of these creatures was much prized by the 

 early Bermudian salt-rakers. Iguanas formed a staple article of 

 diet of Bahamians in Catesby's time, about 1725 (II., 64) ; and they 

 are still appreciated by the coloured people of the Turks Islands. 

 We brought back with us to Grand Turk from Greater Sand Cay 

 a number of iguanas alive in a sack; and I learned that they are 

 often transported to Grand Turk and Salt Cay from the islands in 

 which they abound. Not improbably the Caribs did the same 

 when carrying provisions for their voyages ; and it is not unlikely 

 that they intentionally stocked with these reptiles some of the 

 isolated cays of the Bahamian seas which served as resting-places 

 during their passages. 



The existence of a large snake on Eastern Cay was reported to 

 me by several persons familiar with that island; but it did not 

 come under my notice during my two visits in February 1911. 

 Alligators are not now known to exist in the group ; but about two 

 years before my stay there a dead alligator was found on a beach 

 in Cotton Cay partially buried in the sand. The postmaster, Mr. 

 Lea Smith, whose brother had made the discovery, informed me that 

 it was probably washed ashore in a dead or dying condition. These 

 reptiles would even now find congenial surroundings in the mangrove 

 swamps of South Creek in Grand Turk ; and it is more than probable 

 that they originally infested these islands, having been exterminated 

 by the inhabitants. 



Note 31 (p. 408). 

 Draccena draco (Dragon-tree). 



This interesting tree, w T hich is confined to the Canaries, the Madeiras, 

 and the Cape Verde Islands, though in the last two nearly or quite 

 extinct, specially attracted my attention on Teneriffe, as I had been 

 previously familiar with Dracaena aurea, the peculiar Hawaiian 

 species, which is the only representative of the genus in Polynesia. 

 Of the forty species distributed over the warmer parts of the Old 

 World, these two on account of their restricted range are amongst 

 the first to draw the attention of the student of distribution. 



Whilst still well represented in the Canaries, favouring, as Dr. 

 Christ remarks, the steep sides of the rocky ravines and gorges as 

 they descend to the coast, it seems to be almost extinct in Madeira. 

 In fact, it is stated that Webb a couple of generations ago saw the 



