IPSWICH SPARROW 661 



around the borders. Near this area, about four miles from the west end, on 

 higher, grassy slopes are the west lighthouse, main station and radio station. 

 A mile further east is the weather station. For some nine miles this portion of 

 the island is narrowed by Wallace Lake. About 100 years ago it had an inlet 

 from the ocean, but shortly afterward became completely rimmed with an outer 

 beach as it is today. About 1913 Wallace Lake was divided by a broad, sandy 

 flat. East of Wallace Lake the substantial "backbone" of the island extends 

 about six miles to the east lighthouse. It is in this stretch that Sable Island 

 reaches its maximum width, and the well vegetated tracts are known as the 

 "old land." It is here also that the island attains its maximum height of about 

 80 feet. From the east lighthouse the island tapers gradually into a curved 

 projection of bare sand jutting out into the ocean for four or five miles like a 

 long serpentine tail. 



Exposed on all sides, the treeless island is subjected to excessive 

 wave action and the object of severe sand storms. It is composed 

 almost entirely of white quartz sand, and old dunes are continually 

 blown down and new dunes formed by the high winds. On windy 

 days flying sand discourages travel abroad except during emergencies. 

 Well-vegetated tracts are buried during these periods, and revegetating 

 of the newly formed dunes begins as the beach grass shoots out its 

 runners. Fog is prevalent sometimes for weeks at a time in late 

 spring and earl}^ sunnner, and the dampness appears to help the 

 grasses gain a foothold and grow rapidly. 



The island's tallest vegetation of stunted baj^berry, blueberry, 

 wild rose bushes, here and there intermingled with vines, ranges to 

 waist-high in the shelter of the high dmies in the "old land" of the 

 island's main backbone. Elsewhere it is usually less than knee-deep, 

 such as around the turfy tracts on the western half. What it lacks 

 there in height, however, it makes up in density in the thick growth 

 of crowberry, bayberry, and blueberry, making good nesting areas 

 which are largely free of infiltrating sand. 



Saunders (1902b), who apparently visited only the west end of the 

 island, makes no mention of the prostrate juniper (Juniperus hori- 

 zontalis) which is jorevalent on the eastern half, and in describing the 

 finding of numerous nests, many unfinished, he writes only of the 

 western ponds and the superintendent's grounds. He was able to 

 find nests readily by locating the nest cavity as it was just started, 

 when the excavation showed some black soil. In this way he dis- 

 covered nearly 30 sites. Few nests were completed during his stay. 

 AU but five were placed in long grass where the former year's bleached 

 stems had fallen over. One was in a clump of crowberry and one 

 among dark green rushes; three were in a small field of clover near the 

 superintendent's house at the main station. He describes the nests 

 as large, thick, and deep. A few were in holes in hillsides or terraces, 

 perhaps with a projecting piece of sod protectmg the nest from above. 

 They were made prmcipaUy of fine, dry grass with stronger weeds 



