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when it falls. Onthe most prominent bluff of all stands the south- 
east lighthouse. The keepers assured us that the sea was surely 
encroaching on the land. 
I have never seen so changeable a shore. On one day the 
beach would be firm, hard sand; the next a mass of rattling peb- 
bles. One could scarcely believe it was the same place. 
The bogs and pond holes had a perennial fascination for me. 
There are said to be some three hundred on the island, and I can 
well believe it. They are filled with pond lilies, and surely there is 
no place in the world where they are finer. Occasionally a pink 
one turns up. 
About these pond-holes grow, in the peat, a great variety of 
interesting plants. Two species of sundew were found, the Dyvos- 
era rotundifolia,and D. intermedia var. Americana. Rhexia Virginica 
was common. I never before saw so much of the ragged orchis 
_ (Habenaria lacera). Everywhere the swamp loose-strife, Decodom, _ 
was abundant. Here, too, could be seen quantities of /vis versico- 
lor, three Eviophorums, cat-tails, sedges and grasses. 
The prevailing shrub in the swamps was Cephalanthus occident- 
alis. In smaller quantities grew Rosa Carolina, and Clethra alnifolia. 
We found one bush only of what appeared to be lex levigata. 
Willows were by no means common, and no species of A/nus was 
seen at all. Think of growing up without a knowledge of alder- 
tags! Trees of any sort are extremely scarce. Those there are, 
appear, with rare exceptions, to have been planted. Mr. J. F. 
Collins and myself, however, found a few small tupeloes, Vyss@ 
aquatica. White poplars are the trees most cultivated. I saw _ 
besides a few Adanthus trees and locusts. Protected apple- — 
orchards do well. I found also one lone and stunted hickory. _ 
There is no sign anywhere of a conifer. Here and there one — : 
meets with good clumps of bayberry (MJyrica cerifera), but Comp- — 
tonia was not seen at all. 
On the whole the flora, considering the situation, seemed tO — 
me very rich. We identified 294 species of plants and have some 
dozen or more things yet to determine. Then, too, the early — 
season no doubt would reveal many things, while we lost nearly — 
all the Asters; I think there are probably six or eight of these. — 
The region might well be mapped out into districts, as, of the 
