29 



that many of the fossils contained in the strata are identical with the 

 species now living- in the waters of the Gulf The alluvial plain is flat, 

 swami)y, and poorly drained, and is intersected by numerous sluggish 

 streams with precipitous banks. The land is well grassed wherever it 

 has not been overstocked, and the vegetation is very similar to that of 

 the savannas and coastal plains in the Gulf States. 



Along the immediate coast there is usually a sloping beach backed by 

 a line of not very high nor very broad sand dunes. There are no drift- 

 ing sand dunes to compare with those along the Atlantic coast except 

 at intervals opposite the "jiasses" between the coastal barrier islands, 

 where the winds and tides have free sweep from the ocean. Wlierever 

 the coast is protected from these by the islands, the only dune is about 

 100 yards back from high tide, perhaps not more marked than a narrow 

 ridge, a few feet in height, whose surface is well covered with vegeta- 

 tion. On the land side of the dune there is usually a lagoon, and back 

 of this a marsh containing numerous more or less parallel lagoons and 

 sluggish water courses. This marsh extends from 2 or 3 to sometimes 

 15 or 20 or more miles back along the entire coast line from the mouth 

 of the Sabine River to Aransas Pass. 



The dominant grass on the beach between the ridge and the water is 

 usually salt grass {Distichlis Hpicata). On the sand ridge there are Era- 

 grostis secundijiora^ salt grass, and slender cord grass {Spartina patens). 

 On the seaward edge of the marsh, which is frequently inundated, the 

 l^rincipal grass is Monanthochloe littoralis, a rough, wiry species with 

 extremely short, harsh, and shari^-i^ointed leaves. This could never be 

 called a turf grass, and yet its interlaced stems form the closest kind of 

 a mat, extending from 100 yards to a mile or more inland, depending 

 on the elevation of the land above high tide. Next in the succession 

 is the bunch salt grass {Spartina junciformis) (fig. 1), which grows in 

 great tufts 3 to 6 feet across and from L to 1 feet in height. The leaves 

 of this are evergreen, harsh, and rather stiff, spiny pointed, and so sharp 

 that they will make a horse's legs sore when he is ridden through or 

 over it. The leaves are resinous, and will burn at any time during the 

 year, smouldering along even through a shower of considerable vio- 

 lence. Between the tufts or tussocks the ground is either bare or 

 covered with low rushes or other insignificant plants. The salt grass 

 supplies fully 90 per cent of the vegetation of the marsh, and often 

 occupies its surface to the almost total exclusion of other sorts. 



These salt-grass meadows are well stocked with cattle. Unlike the 

 salt grasses of the marshes along the Atlantic coast, this can not be 

 mown for hay on account of its bunchy nature, and hence grazing is 

 the only practicable method of utilizing the vast amount of forage 

 produced. The bunch salt-grass marshes will carry from 80 to 120 

 ]3ead of stock cattle to the square mile. It is said to be a fine grass on 

 ^hich to f/roic cattle, but they can not be fattened on it; at least, that 

 js the. opinion of a stockman iii Brazoria Gounty who has ranged cattle 



