SAND DUNES 



on the landward side, and so narrow that 

 I used — in those barbaric days — to build 

 my blind in the middle of the spit and shoot 

 over decoys placed at the water's edge on both 

 sides. 



As the sea threw up more and more sand, 

 and the wind seized it and blew it inland, the 

 spit extended and broadened and cut off a 

 lagoon of several acres in extent, so protected 

 from the sea waves that a different marine 

 life flourished there. It was a godsend to the 

 old lighthouse-keeper, for he could dig at his 

 door all the clams he needed without having 

 to wend his way to the inland creeks. This 

 was the only place on the outer side of the 

 dunes where common clams were found, for 

 on the improtected beaches the massive sea- 

 clam, an entirely different species, alone flour- 

 ishes. The spit grew year by year, and in 

 1904 had become an elevated plain three hun- 

 dred yards broad, which completely enclosed 

 the shrunken lagoon, now brackish and stag- 

 nant. The clams had all died and another set 

 of inhabitants flourished there, dominated by 

 great masses of slimy algae. But the sands 

 kept blowing, and in 1906 the pool was en- 

 tirely effaced. Clumps of beach grass ap- 



13 



