524 
A  Trip  to  Bermuda. 
{Am,  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  November,  1903. 
changes  the  color  of  the  stone  and  it  becomes  a  dull  gray  or  a  dirty 
dead  White,  which  is  very  trying  to  the  eye.  The  streets  are  paved 
with  ground  coral  and  limestone  and  present  the  same  appearance. 
The  climate  is  fairly  healthful,  the  ordinary  death-rate  being  about 
twenty  per  thousand.  Invalids  claim  it  to  be  beneficial  for  all  dis- 
eases. The  temperature  varies  from  900  F.  in  the  summer  to  about 
65 0  during  the  winter  months.  The  summer  temperature  does  not 
appear  to  be  very  high,  but  owing  to  the  formation  and  the  sur- 
rounding water  the  humidity  is  great  and  the  heat  of  an  enervating 
nature. 
Vegetation  is  rapid  in  its  growth  and  the  soil  is  covered  by  a  per- 
petual green.  The  most  abundant  tree  on  the  islands  is  the  so-called 
Bermuda  cedar,  which  is  a  species  of  juniper  and  is  used  extensively 
for  commercial  purposes.  Hibiscus  with  its  beautiful  flowers  forms 
a  hedge  on  every  road.  "The  Pride  of  India,"  another  tree,  is 
numerous.  Royal  palms,  sago  palms  and  cocoanut  trees  are  abun- 
dant and  add  picturesqueness  to  the  landscape,  which  soon  becomes 
tiresome  through  its  sameness.  Oleander,  in  spite  of  all  its  beauty, 
is  so  numerous  as  to  become  almost  a  nuisance.  The  soil  is  very 
fertile  and  produces  large  quantities  of  plants  and  roots,  the  most 
notable  among  them  are  arrow-root,  which  is  of  a  very  fine  quality  • 
lilies,  which  are  sent  all  over  the  world ;  onions,  potatoes  and 
tomatoes,  the  latter  being  particularly  fine,  although  much  smaller 
than  our  American  fruit.  Onions  and  potatoes  owe  their  origin  to 
American  seeds.  Among  the  medicinal  plants  the  castor-oil  plant 
and  julep  grow  abundantly  and  without  cultivation.  The  cultivation 
of  coffee,  indigo  and  tobacco  has  been  tried  but  abandoned.  Lemons 
and  oranges  also  grow  in  fair  quantities,  but  are  of  very  poor 
quality.  Limes  are  abundant  and  form  a  staple  article  of  diet  and 
commerce ;  bananas  are  prolific,  the  fruit  being  of  a  much  smaller 
variety  but  infinitely  sweeter  and  richer  than  the  American.  There 
are  few  animals  on  the  island.  Reptiles  are  represented  by  a  small 
lizard  and  a  small  green  turtle.  Birds  are  very  numerous.  Insects 
are  comparatively  few,  except  large  destructive  ants  and  myriads  of 
spiders,  these  being  extraordinarily  large  and  beautifully  colored. 
Fish  are  plentiful  and,  like  in  all  tropical  waters,  very  large.  There 
are  no  game  fish.  Two  particularly  beautiful  specimens,  the  angel 
fish  and  amber  fish,  are  rich  in  their  coloring,  the  first  representing 
all  colors  of  the  rainbow,  which  show  splendidly  in  the  water,  but 
the  colors  seem  to  fade  within  a  very  short  time  after  removal. 
