BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 9 



(Pimis stmbiis), pitch pine {Pinits rigida), and hemlock [Tstiga canadensis) 

 are to be found. Spruces, the black spruce {Picea nigra) only, are nowhere 

 abundant and are generally confined to small swamps in Essex, Middleton, 

 Ipswich, and Hamilton. There are a few sphagnum bogs where larch {Larix 

 americana) and white cedar {Clianicecyparis sp/imroidea) occur, the latter being 

 not uncommon in Lynnfield. There are no white nor red spruces, nor balsam 

 firs, except introduced specimens. 



In the numerous overgrown pastures, the red cedar {Junipcnis virginiatid) 

 and the juniper (_/. commnnis, var. deprcssa) abound. In these pastures in 

 Swampscott and Salem the dyer's weed {Genista tinctoria), introduced by the 

 early settlers, covers all the ground with its wonderful wealth of yellow blos- 

 soms. A characteristic bush in all pastures and also introduced, is the Euro- 

 pean barberry {Bcrberis vulgaris). Curious apple trees, dwarfed by the con- 

 stant cropping of cattle so that they spread out only a foot or two above the 

 ground, are common in all old pastures. Occasionally these trees reach such a 

 breadth, that the long neck and tongue of the cow cannot reach the middle, at 

 which point the tree sprouts upwards undisturbed. Apple orchards, many very 

 ancient, are to be found everywhere in the County. 



Of the deciduous trees may be mentioned the following : white birch 

 (Betula pcpu/ifolia), most abundant in all old fields ; canoe birch {B. papyri- 

 fera), red birch {B. nigra), yellow birch {B. luiea), sweet birch {B. tenia), 

 much less common ; American beech [Fagns ferriiginea), chestnut {Castanea 

 dentata), red oak {Qiierciis rubra)^ black oak {Q- velutina), white oak {Q. alba), 

 swamp white oak {Q. bicolor), American elm (Ulmus americana), butternut 

 {Juglans cinerea), shag -bark hickory {Cajya alba), swamp hickory {C. aviara), 

 pig-nut hickory (C porcina), white ash {Fraxiniis americana), red maple {Acer 

 rnbrnvi), silver maple {A. saccharinuni), sugar maple {A. sacckarinn), striped 

 maple {A. pennsylvaiiicuvi), black locust {Robinia pseudacacia), hop hornbeam 

 {Ostrya virginica), wild black or rum cherry {Prnnns serotina). 



In the deep woods of Essex and Manchester, as well as on the exposed 

 hillsides of Cape Ann, the mountain laurel {Kalniia latifolia) abounds, and the 

 mayflower {Epigcea rcpens) is found in a few places. In the deep swamps of 

 Gloucester is still found the small magnolia {Magnolia glaiica), from which the 

 settlement of Magnolia takes its name. This southern plant does not occur 

 again north of Long Island. The white cedar {Cliamacyparis spluEroidea) 

 already mentioned, chinquapin oak {Quercns prinoides), sassafras {Sassafras 

 officinale), and tupelo {Nyssa sylvatica), all more or less characteristically 

 southern species, are also found in the County. 



On the other hand, there are several stations for the red or Norway pine 

 {Finns resinosa), some of these interesting trees of the North being of con- 



