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water is formed. By means of this activity the mangrove vegeta- 

 tion is gradually preparing its own destruction. The water in these 

 lakes shut off from the sea becomes namely more and more foul 

 and stinking and these localities become at last uninhabitable for 



Fig. (■>. Interior of tlie Rhizophora-foresi of Great Cruzbay, St. Jan. (F. B. phot.) 



even the mangrove vegetation. First of all Rhizophora disappears; 

 only in one single salt pond left by the sea have I found some 

 few Rhizoplioras growing, namely in the small salt pond on Sandy 

 Point (see fig. 5); but the dominant species round the salt pond 



