Contributions to the Fauna of tlie Bahamas 



43 



Endemie species: 



Non-endemie species : 



Typhlops lumhricalis, L. 



Epicrates chryaogaster, Cope. 

 Ungalia cana, Cope. 



» tenuis, Salvin. 

 Glauconia albifrons, Cope. 

 Epicrates striatus, Fischer. 

 Ungalia pardalis, Gundlach. 



Dromicus angulifer var. vudii, Cope. 



In order to trace the origin of the fauna we shall first have to study the 

 distribution of the non-endemic species, then the relations of the endemic species 

 to other species, and the distribution of these. The regions which, owing to their 

 situation, may be expected to possess the forms from which the Bahama ones might 

 possibly be derived are Florida, Cuba and Haiti. It is of great interest to 

 know from wliicli of these localities the Bahama fauna originates, especially if it 

 is from Florida or from Cuba and Haiti, because this is a question whether the 

 fauna is neogaeic or arctogaeic. As has been shown in the first part of this paper 

 the islands are oceanic. The have not been in connection with any other island or 

 with any continent since their recent elevation. As none of the species occurring 

 in the Bahamas are capable of swimming over the rather broad channels which 

 separate, or have separated these islands from surrounding lands, they must have 

 arrived the islands on floating trees or the like, if not introduced by man. The 

 great specialisation of the Bahama reptile fauna shows, indeed, that the greater 

 part has occupied the islands for some time. To judge from the ocean streams 

 which sweep the coasts of the Bahama archipelago, it is a priori not probable that 

 any reptiles would have come from Florida. Between this peninsula and the Bahama 

 Islands the Gulf stream flows with such great strength and in such a direction that 

 it is quite impossible that trees or parts of plants or other things, which could trans- 

 port small reptiles or their eggs, could have been transferred from Florida to the 

 Bahama Islands. It is more probable that such a transportation would take place 

 from Haiti and Cuba to the Bahamas by means of the Antillean Stream perhaps also 

 from Cuba by means of the Gulf Stream. The prevailing winds are also more 

 in this direction. To me it seems very probable that the winds have played an 

 important rôle in forming the land fauna of the Bahamas, at least the reptile por- 

 tion. Anybody who has ever had any experience of one of those terrible hurricanes 

 which visit this part of the world, and who has seen in what an uproar the 

 ocean can be at such a time, carrying away great stocks and stones, would never 

 deny the importance of these winds as a means of dispersion of small animals. 



Of the 12 species which occur also outside the Bahamas there is only one 

 inhabiting Florida, mamely Sphaerodactyhis notattis, Baird. This species, however, 

 is restricted to the southern part of this peninsula, and as it is common both on 

 Cuba and Haiti it is clear that this species has not come to the Bahamas from 



