144 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



occurred on March 4, 5, 6, and 7, 1917 (about 7 inches), and that 

 this was a month early for the spring rains. The "prairie" is 

 the higher portion of the sawgrass "Everglades;" the "slough" 

 the lower portion, where the water drains off during the wet 

 season. The bottom of the slough is now dry but is matted down 

 with thinly caked mud;|the sawgrass grows over this to a height 

 of 2 to 3 feet at this season. This area of prairie and .slough is 

 under water from 3 to 8 months of the year, according as to 

 whether the season is wet or dry. 



Mr. Mosier states that in 1916, the prairie was covered with 

 water in August, October, and February, 1917. The source of 

 the Taylor river at the east end of the hammock is covered with 

 pads of the yellow water lily; pickerel weed also grows in the 

 water. There is no current when the slough is dry, as now\ 



The trees of Royal Palm Hammock, aside from the royal 

 palms are mostly sub-tropical species, including live oak (plate 

 XV, fig. 1), sweet bay magnolia, cocoa plum, pigeon plum, wild 

 tamarind, West Indian cherry, gumbo limbo, strangling fig (Ficus 

 aurea), sabal and saw palmetto. Spanish moss (plate XV, fig. 1), 

 epiphytic growth, ferns and vines cover these trees. Especially 

 striking is the long grey Spanish moss and the sleeping or resur- 

 rection fern. This fern (Polypodinum polyoides) lives on the 

 upper side of tree limbs and is dry and a dirty brown till there is 

 rain fall, then it becomes a beautiful green mass. 



There is a dense tangle of undergrowth; a variety of ferns grow 

 luxuriantly, especially large beds of the Boston and royal (Dryop- 

 terus and Drypetes). The forest floor is rich in black humus and 

 is covered with a coarser leaf mold. Before the heavy rain on the 

 28th the humus and leaf mold was very dry but afterwards it 

 became very damp. 



Mr. Mosier is responsible for all the plant names. 



It is warm in the hammocks in spite of the dense shade, since 

 there is but little air in circulation, owing to the dense jungle of 

 hanging vines and undergrowth. 



It is interesting to note in connection with abundance of this 

 large Tabanid and other horseflies, that Anthrax of horses and 

 cattle does not occur in Bade County, Florida, according to several 

 reports. 



Dr. Small refers to the animal life of the Everglades in his paper. 

 C. T. Simpson 1 and Mrs. W. S. Jennings 2 have described conditions 

 at Paradise Key. 



The accompanying photographs were made by E. C. Loveland 

 of Homestead and W. E. Brown of Miami, Florida. 



1 Simpson, C. T. "Paradise Key." The Tropic Magazine, Vol. IV, 

 No. 1, pp. 1-9, April, 1916. (Illustrated.) 



2 Jennings, W. S. "Royal Palm State Park." (Lists trees on the 

 hammock.) Ibid., pp. 10-iG and 26. 



