Contributions to the Fanna of the Bahamas 15 



They often end in steep bluffs (Fig. D). The greater part of the land is, however, 

 very low consisting either of rock or of coral sand. Denudation and solution of 

 rock have given rise to several types of soils. Besides the coral sand, these are 

 different kinds of loam, brackish swamp and marl. The beach is at some places 

 rocky (Fig. D), steep or sloping gently, at other places a low sand beach (Fig. E). 

 A very low shore, consisting of white marl bounds the western side of Andros (Fig. F). 

 No true streams are found but creeks with brackish water. In the interior of 

 Andros is a lake, which is said to keep fresh water, but that is the only one 

 Brackish ponds, more or less in connection with the sea are very numerous. In 

 some islands some ponds are almost real salt ponds. The Bahamas, situated between 

 about 20 " and 27 ^ N. L., swept by two warm streams, the Gulf Stream and the 

 Antillean Stream, have a climate with moderately high temperature, showing little 

 variation from month to month. The avarage temperature for Nassau is recorded 

 to be 21,5" C. in February 

 (the coldest month), in Au- 

 gust (the warmest month) 

 28,7« C. Hence the diffe- 

 rence is only about 7 C. 

 Much higher and lower ex- 

 treme temperatures are often 

 observed ^. The amount of 

 moisture in the atmosphere 

 is very high, during the 

 night 85 to 90 per cent, at 

 noon about 73 per cent, 

 being almost uniform troug- 

 hout the year. The average annual rainfall approximates 50 inches, four fifths 

 occurring from May to October. 



The vegetation of the Bahamas is a low, monotonous growth. The opportunities 

 offerred for a varied plant life are very restricted: a rocky, calcareous ground, heat 

 and salt, no mountains, no valleys, no running streams or fresh and quiet waters. 

 The beach-plants are succulents, furnished with different means for a vegetative 

 propagation, liable as they are to be uprooted or hurried by the shifting sand (Fig. E). 

 The interior is filled with a scrubby coppice growth (Fig. G), in some places alter- 

 nating with pine-barrens (Fig. H) or with areas of small palms (Fig. I). There is 

 nothing of the grandeur of the large tropical forests. Mangroves (Rhkophora mangle 

 and Avicennia nitida) make up the greatest part of the vegetation along bights 

 (Fig. K), creeks (Fig. L) and brackish ponds (Fig. M). 



The conditions that are offerred to animal life in water are a little more 



^ In the summer of 1908 I found the temperature at Mastic Point on Andros generally to 

 be in August between 30" C (about 3 a. m.) and 36° C, in the winter about 23 " C in the day. 



