33° George E. Nichols, 



and Hypnum Schrehcri. On the whole, the aspect of such a 

 forest is quite xerophytic. 



Association-types of sandy beaches and dunes. — Aside from 

 their frequent association with shingle beaches, to which 

 reference has been made above, broad strips of sandy beach 

 fringe the mainland here and there in somewhat protected situa- 

 tions along the coast, as at North Bay and South Bay, Ingonish. 

 Frequently such beaches overlie deposits of shingle and during 



Figure 30. — Sand spit at North Pond, Aspy Bay; Ammophila, etc.; in 

 the distance, Cape North. 



heavy storms the sand may be completely swept away from the 

 more exposed parts of the beach. The finest display of sandy 

 beach along the coast of northern Cape Breton is seen at Aspy 

 Bay, where North Pond is nearly cut off from the ocean by a 

 sand spit (Fig. 30), which is fully three miles long and 

 averages perhaps a hundred yards in width. South Pond 

 similarly is almost shut in by a shorter but much broader spit, 

 on which have been built up a fine series of sand dunes. 



As in the case of shingle beaches, the lower beach here is 

 practically plantless, while the middle beach is populated by a 



