304 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



distance from the swamp the woodland is typical hickory- 

 oak growth. Immediately about the swamp are black ash, elm, 

 pin-oak, red maple and a few sycamores. Willows and button 

 bush fringe the swamp at several points. In the swamp itself 

 Sparganium eurycarpum is most conspicuous. At one side is 

 a large area of Iris versicolor and Carices abound along the 

 eastern side. There are several areas of cat-tails and spatter 

 dock (Nymphaca adrena*), the latter of which is noticeably 

 increasing its territory. Duckweed (Spirodela} is abundant 

 with other floating and submerged vegetation, and in spring 

 the beautiful leaves of the yellow water crowfoot (Ranunculus 

 delphinifolius} show splendidly through the clear water. A 

 few years ago Scirpus fluviatilis appeared in the swamp and 

 it has now increased to a considerable area. Associated with 

 it is the rice grass, Homahcenchrus oryzoidcs. No other 

 station for Scirpus fluviatilis is known for Wells County and a 

 violet, Viola conspersa, growing near at hand in the low wood- 

 land, is known nowhere else in this county. Along the low 

 area which drains the swamp during its brief period of over- 

 flow, Caltha palustris, a rare plant here, occurs sparingly. 



In early spring dainty crustaceans (Branchipus vernalis) 

 in half invisible schools pulsate their aimless ways. The cray- 

 fish (Cambarus acutus}, lives in the swamp and Cambarus 

 argillicola burrows in the immediately adjacent woodland. 

 Spotted water snakes drop from the button bushes, the shores 

 are alive with spotted frogs and tree toads (Hyla versicolor) 

 may be gathered like inanimate objects from an old board 

 fence or from the spatterdock leaves. Formerly, painted turtles 

 and snapping turtles lived in the swamp but I have seen neither 

 for a year or two. There are no fish and but few salamand- 

 ers (Amblystoma) in the swamp. Red-winged blackbirds and 

 green herons nest at the swamp. There is one muskrat house, 

 and raccoons are frequent visitors. 



The waters teem with varied insect life. The number of 

 species of dragonflies observed is not large but individuals of 

 certain species are legion. This and one other swamp in Wells 

 County are the only known stations in the state for Sympetrum 



