NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



409 



Choptank River Marshes. (A4.) In 

 Caroline County, comprising an area 

 several hundred acres in extent, are of 

 unusual interest. The fauna consists 

 principally of raccoon, muskrat, opos- 

 sum, otter, mink, weasels and other 

 small mammals. Most of the Maryland 

 marsh birds live and breed here. This 

 is a fresh water marsh. 



Easton, 10 mi. east, B. C. & A. R. R.; 

 Turner station at the marshes on the 

 B. C. & A. R. R.— /. W. Harshberger. 



*Governors Run Oyster Reserve Area 

 in Calvert County. Comprising about 

 3 sq. mi., \ mi. from the west bank of 

 Chesapeake Bay, near Port Republic, 

 between a sand bank and the mud 

 bottom. The cultch is a combination 

 of oyster shells, fossil shells and stone. 

 This ai'ea has been set aside by the Con- 

 servation Commission of Maryland as a 

 breeding ground for oysters. 



Prince Frederick, 6 mi. S.E., on the 

 bus line from Annapolis; one mi. east 

 (W) of Port Republic— fl. V. Truitt. 



*Plum Point Oyster Reserve. Calvert 

 CountJ^ Comprises an area of 3 to 4 

 sq. mi. at Plum Point. It lies about 

 J mi. from shore and is of the same nature 

 as the Governors Run Reserve Area, 

 lying about 10 mi. north. It may be 

 reached by the bus line from Annapolis. 

 —R. V. Truitt. 



*St. Jerome's Oyster Reserve Area. 

 St. Mary's County. Consists of 3 sq. 

 mi., at St. Jerome, and lying about \ 

 mi. off the shore. The cuftch is similar 

 to that of the Governors Run Reserve 

 Area. To visit any of these oyster areas 

 it would be advisable to get in touch 

 with the Conservation Commission of 

 Maryland, Munsey Building, Baltimore, 

 Md. 



Tide Water Bus line from Washington 

 to St. Jerome.— /2. V. Truitt. 



Annemessex Rimr Flats. (A4.) In 

 Somerset County at the mouth of_ the 

 Little Annemessex River. This is a 

 salt water area of about 2 sq. mi., 

 averaging about one foot of water. The 

 Chesapeake blue crab abounds here, 

 and it is one of the most favorable 

 places for its molting. Tliis area is 

 being recommended for a preserved area. 

 Crisfield, 2 mi. S.W., New York, Phila- 

 delphia, and Norfolk R. R.; or boat 

 from Baltimore or Annapolis.— rt. 1 . 



Truitt. , , ^ . ^- 



Susquehanna River Flats. (A4.j Ul- 

 fer very favorable conditions for the 

 breeding of shad. This area consists of 

 about 10 sq. mi. adjacent to Havre de 

 Grace in Harford County. Water prac- 

 tically fresh. Depth vanes over the 

 area from 1 to 10 ft. This area is pro- 

 posed for preservation. 



Havre de Grace, main lines B. & O. 

 and Pennsylvania Railroads. — R. V. 



Truitt. 



Sinepuxent Tide Waters. (A4.) In 

 Worcester County Ijctwoon Public Land- 

 ing and Stockton a distance of about 

 12 mi., offers ideal conditions for breed- 

 ing and trapi)ing muskrats. These tide 

 waters include many small islands bor- 

 dering the sliore. The marshes are 

 boggy, soft and have a luxuriant plant 

 growth. Marsh birds are plentiful — 

 sage hen, kildeer, plover, gulls, terns, 

 and strikers. 



Snow Hill, 5 mi. S., Penna. R. R. — 

 R. V. Truitt. 



Dorchester County Tide Waters. ('A4.) 

 P'rom Taylors Island to Hooper Island, 

 afford man}'^ places ideal for the breeding 

 of muskrats and other marsh animals. 

 These grounds may be reached by 

 boat from Baltimore to Taylors Islan(l, 

 or take the Cambridge bus line from 

 Cambridge direct to some of the marshes 

 at Golden Hill.— 72. V. Truitt. 



The Calvert County Cliffs. This in- 

 teresting formation extends from Chesa- 

 peake Beach on the north to Cove 

 Point on the south along the Western 

 Shore of Chesapeake Bay. There is 

 but little beach, from which rise abrupt 

 cliffs of from 50 to 100 ft. in height com- 

 posed of clay, sand gravel, marl and 

 diatomaccous earths, containing great 

 masses of fossils. The beach vegeta- 

 tion and the insect life are interesting. 

 Chesapeake Beach, Chesapeake Beach 

 Railroad from Washington; boats from 

 Baltimore to bay wharves; no boarding 

 house; must be prepared to camj) out. 

 — Ernest N. Cory. 



Conoiringo Barrens. This is an area 

 of unproductive, light yellow to whitish 

 soil, very shallow in most places, derived 

 from serpentine rock that outcrops 

 in ridges throughout the area. Only 

 stunted oaks and pines forest thi.s area. 

 The plant growth is sparse owing to 

 almost total absence of nutrient ele- 

 ments, and the animal life is restricted. 

 These barrens start about i '"i- 

 north of Conowingo on the Susquehanna 

 River and extend in a general triangular 

 shaped area to the Pennsylvania line 

 comprising about 10 sq. ini. This 

 formation may be found also in limited 

 areas through Harford County. 



Conowingo nearest town. May be 

 reached by Columlua and Port Dci)Osit 

 Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad 

 from Pcrryville on the south, or by auto- 

 mobile on state road from l-llkton 

 through Rising Sun from out of the 

 state, or from Baltimore through licl 

 Air. — Ernest N. Cory. 



Worcester Comity Sand Dunes. Very 



