BROWN — PLANT LIFE OF NORTH CAROLINA LAKES. 333 



it is covered, the rain water does not run off rapidly, but furnishes a 

 more or less constant water supply to the lake. There are two out- 

 lets, both through swamps. One is at the eastern end and goes to 

 Lake Ellis, while the other is at the northern side and goes to Hunters 

 Creek, which flows into Oak River. 



The water is coffee-colored from dissolved and suspended organic 

 matter. 



The temperature of the water rises from about 80° F. in the morn- 

 ing to anywhere between 90° and 102° at midday. The difference 

 seems to be largely regulated by the brightness of the sun. 



The soil, from the shore to a point where the water has a depth of 

 about 5 feet, is composed of a coarse sand, while in the center of the 

 lake it is a soft mud. This difference seems to be due to the fact that 

 humus and fine soil particles are carried about by the waves until 

 they settle in the deepest part and make that muddy, while the 

 original coarse, sandy soil is left at the edges. There are small 

 patches of peaty soil near the shore in the sandy part of the bottom. 

 These are probably at places where Taxodium distichum has grown 

 and then decayed, as these trees grow in this part of the lake and 

 occupy spots of about the same size. The sand is packed hard by 

 the waves and when struck resounds like rock. During storms, 

 however, it is shifted about considerably, as is shown by the fact 

 that a boat which was left anchored in a sheltered bay during four 

 days of stormy weather was, at the end of that time, half full of sand. 



The shore line has slight irregularities forming numerous miniature 

 bays. The water is generally about 6 to 12 inches deep at the shore, 

 but the slope of the bottom is quite gradual. The depth of the water 

 at the shore seems to be caused largely by the waves washing up 

 against the shore vegetation. 



AQUATIC VEGETATION". 



The aquatic vegetation of Great Lake is very scanty. As in Lake 

 Ellis all of the plants would be included in the phragmitetum or 

 outer part of the littoral zone of Magnin (1893). All of the species 

 in Great Lake are found in the intermediate zone of Lake Ellis. 



Taxodium distichum is found in the lake near the shore at the east- 

 ern end of Great Lake. The reasons for its absence at the western 

 end will be apparent when the vegetation of the shore is discussed. 

 Where the waves wash the bases of these and where stumps or knees 

 come to the surface they are often covered with moss which is partly 

 submerged. The only other vegetation ; except algae, found in the 

 lake consisted of some patches of NympTiaea advena, a few patches of 

 Panicum Tiemitomon, and one of Xyris caroliniana. These seem to 

 get a start in the peaty places and probably lead a precarious existence 

 owing to the shifting sand, which is likely to bury them or cause their 



