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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



terized by a stand of sedges, grasses, 

 rushes, cattails and reeds. There is a 

 subdivision of this region where fresh- 

 water swamps are found. These swamps 

 bear dense stands of cypress {Taxodium 

 distichum) and tupelo gum with little 

 undergrowth where the water stands 

 over 6 in. deep. 



Animals (H. H. K.): The prevaling 

 mammal of the marshes is the muskrat 

 {Ondatra rivalicia). While the marshes 

 are favorite resorts of ducks in winter, 

 they are nesting grounds more especially 

 for Louisiana heron, least bittern, 

 king and clapper rails, purple and 

 Florida gallinules, boat-tailed grackl'e, 

 red-winged blackbird, Louisiana seaside 

 sparrow, Florida yellow -throat and 

 long-billed marsh wren. 



e. Coastal Islands {L. W. and H. H. 

 K.). Coastal islands are the nesting 

 places of the brown pelican, laughing 

 gull, Caspian, royal, Cabot's and 

 Forster's terns, black skimmer and 

 occasional small birds, most notable 

 of which is the Florida nighthawk. 



II. PRESENT BIOTIC CONDITIONS 

 (l. w. and H. H. K.) 



Lumbering, hog grazing and fires 

 are responsible for the altering of forest 

 conditions in some regions. The short- 

 leaf pine country is reforesting fairly 

 well but the virgin growth is nearly 

 gone. Many small farms occur in this 

 part of the state. The longleaf pine 

 region has suffered most, and seven- 

 eighths of the cutover lands of this type 

 are barren. Few seed trees were left 

 and hogs and fires have prevented 

 natural reproduction. Little farming 

 has been or will be carried on in this 

 belt for many years. Although much 

 longleaf pine timber has been cut the 

 virgin trees will continue to be an 

 important factor for some ten or twelve 

 years. The bluff lands are all in culti- 

 vation except where the slopes are too 

 steep. The white oaks and other 

 valuable hardwoods have been cut 

 out. The timber in the alluvial belt 

 is being cleared as fast as levees are 

 built, and cypress and white oak have 



been culled out already. Practically all 

 of this land will be put into cultivation 

 eventually. The prairie region is prac- 

 tically all used for pasturage or crops. 

 The coastal marshes are still in their 

 original condition and are destined to 

 remain so. The cypress has been 

 removed from many of the swamps and 

 tupelo gum is replacing it. 



No species have been seriously reduced 

 in number, although the acreage of 

 longleaf pine will be greatly, reduced 

 unless range fires are eliminated and 

 seed trees left on the ground. Cypress 

 seems destined to be largely replaced by 

 tupelo gum. 



No original animals existing in Louis- 

 iana in modern times appear to have 

 been entirely eliminated, except for the 

 general disappearance of a few species: 

 bison (a few wintered formerly in 

 Louisiana), Eskimo curlew, passenger 

 pigeon, and Carolina paroquet. 



III. NATURAL AREAS (g. W. G.) 



1. *Louisiana State Wild Life Refuge. 

 (B2.) A tract of 13,000 acres in Ver- 

 milion Parish given to the state by 

 Charles W. Ward and E. A. McUhenny. 

 Deciduous and evergreen savanna and 

 prairie comprise most of the tract 

 together with sandy shore, swamp, 

 marshes, ponds, and bayous. All stages 

 of marsh succession may be found. 

 Alligator, deer, beaver, otter and wild 

 fowl occur. 



Abbeville, 30 mi. by boat on Bayou 

 Vermilion. — Stanley C. Arthur. 



2. *Ward-McIlhenny Wild Life Refuge. 

 (B2.) Comprises 57,000 acres of marsh, 

 bayous, low prairie and sandy shore. 

 Successional stages of marsh vegetation 

 may be found. Alligators, mink, deer, 

 muskrat and water fowl occur. The 

 tract is preserved by the Vermilion 

 Bay Company and is used for very 

 limited hunting. 



Abbeville, 20 mi. by boat on Bayou 

 Vermillion. — E. A. McUhenny. 



3. *Rockefeller Foundation Wild Life 

 Refuge. (B2.) This consists of 25,000 

 acres of low plain and prairie with sandy 

 shores and live oaks, marshes, lakes, and 



