192 FLORA OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND ANDROS 



The Little Bahama Bank is separated from Florida by a distance 

 of fifty miles and a depth of less than 450 fathoms of water. The 

 Great Bahama Bank extends west and northwest of Andros for a 

 distance of from fifty to seventy miles. At its western edge it is only 

 forty miles distant from Florida, and the channel is about 450 to 500 

 fathoms deep. 



The Great Bahama Bank is separated from Cuba on the south 

 by the Old Bahama Channel, about 300 fathoms in depth, the narrow- 

 est part of which is only about twelve miles. Beyond this point the 

 water deepens rapidly to 500 and 1000 fathoms. 



The following is quoted from Professor Hitchcock's admirable 

 account: ''If, from any cause, the depth of the water of the ocean 

 should be lessened by 100 fathoms, there would be exposed the Little 

 Bahama and Great Bahama banks and several of the smaller banks 

 to the southeast. The Bahamas would be separated from the sur- 

 rounding islands and from Florida and the important channels would 

 still occupy the same places. If reduced by 300 fathoms, the Great 

 Bahama Bank would be united with Cuba. If the water were 500 

 fathoms shallower than at present, the Little and Great Bahama banks 

 would be united with Florida and some of the Windward Islands 

 would be connected. It is not, however, until a layer of water 1000 

 fathoms deep is removed that important changes would occur. Ja- 

 maica would be united with Honduras, Cuba with Florida and also 

 with South America through the Windward Islands. There would 

 be a narrow channel between Cuba and Yucatan, between Jamaica 

 and Haiti, and a wide and deep channel between Jamaica and Cuba. 

 Watlings, the Acklin Island group, and Inagua would still be isolated 

 and the distances between them and the neighboring land would not 

 be materially diminished. . . . The Greater Antilles are of ancient 

 formation and may have been connected with Mexico and Central 

 America at some remote period. But the Bahamas, the Windward 

 Islands, and the southern extremity of Florida are of recent origin." 



Professor Hitchcock thinks, however, as does the writer, that 

 the ordinary methods of dissemination are sufiicient to account 

 for the Bahaman flora and that the theory of an ancient land connec- 

 tion is not necessary. 



The following table shows the distribution of the plants collected 

 by us on New Providence and Andros and bears out the conclusion 



