NortH Haven Sanp PLrarns 573 
containing nearly forty acres, near the Montowese station of the 
Air Line division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford rail- 
road, was also studied and will be designated the Montowese tract. 
These tracts are about three miles apart, being separated by 
land of similar formation and character which has been improved 
and is now used for tillage and for pasture. The Montowese tract 
is bordered on the west by the Quinnipiac River, but is several 
feet higher than the water in the river. The topographical lines 
on the map of this region prepared by the United States Geologi- 
cal Survey show the Montowese tract to be about twenty feet 
above sea-level and the North Haven tract to be not far from forty 
feet. 
The writer had often noticed these sand barrens from railway 
trains and first in May, 1899, was able to reach them for a day’s 
collecting. In the spring of 1go1 it was decided to make a some- 
what systematic study of the plants of this region and from April 
to October of this and the following year (1902) each tract was 
visited about once in two weeks and the flowering plants collected 
and field notes made about the flora of the region. Specimens 
were pressed and mounted, and the roots of many species were 
preserved in formaldehyde solution for histological study. 
It must not be inferred that the boundaries of these areas are 
naturally well-defined, for except where the river washes away the 
sand from the Montowese tract the soil-formation is much the 
Same without as within the boundaries of the areas. But it is 
more densely covered with vegetation, though producing the same 
Species of plants, showing that in some respects at least, the con- 
ditions must have been more favorable for plant growth than on 
the barren areas. In fact these areas may fairly be regarded as 
the least favorable, as they are the last to be covered with vegetation. 
Winds and water have changed slightly the topography of 
both tracts, but as they are not particularly exposed, the winds do 
not have a very long sweep and the shifting of the sand is not 
rapid. That it exists, however, observation is the only proof re- 
quired. Some of the trees have their roots laid bare by the winds, 
where the ground is so nearly level as wholly to preclude the idea 
of washing (see f/. 25, 6). A board fence along the west side of 
the railroad track at Montowese (also shown in i. 25, 4), con- 
