INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. 281) 



the same size. Several other bayons connect with it, one of them bcin^ 

 known as Lagoon Bayou, which is the outlet of two small lajjoons. 

 Its shores and those of the upper ])ortion of Grand Plains Bayou are 

 hiuhcr and more liberally supplied with water willows and other woody 

 vegetation. Near its mouth Pearl River divides into several branches, 

 known as West Pearl Kiver, Middle Pearl River, etc. Opening into 

 West Pearl River is Black Bayou, which is much fretiueuted by anglers. 

 It is about 40 feet wide, 5 to 15 feet deep, aiul several miles long. Its 

 shores are low and marshy and covered with a dense growth of marsh 

 grass. In the water was a rank growth of water vegetation, (jonsisting 

 of RaniinculHs,' Myriophyllum, Anacharis, Potamogeton, Nymphwa, and 

 Niipliar, both of the latter in bloom. 



xVnother bayou opening into Pearl lliver is known as Mulatto Bayou, 

 which flows through the Sea Glen plantation, several miles north of 

 l>a!dwiii Lodge. The land along the greater length of this bayou is 

 considerably higher than along the other bayous mentioned. At Sea 

 Glen the ground is 5 to 15 feet above the water, and is covered with 

 groves of maguiti(5eiit pecans and a few magnolias. Many of these 

 trees are of immense size, and the oaks are rendered unusually beau- 

 tiful by tlie great mats of Polypodium growing upon their trunks and 

 larger branches; and the masses of TUlatidsia usneoides, or long moss, 

 hanging in long, graceful festoons, form a rich drapery to the branches. 



Pearl Kiver has several outlets or mouths, all opening finally into 

 Lake Borgne, Tliis lake is approximately 25 miles long by 10 to 12 

 miles wide, the greatest length extending in a northeast and southwest 

 direction. It is a very shallow body of water, the average depth prob- 

 ably not exceeding 8 feet. South of Baldwin Lodge a depth of 18 to 20 

 feet is found, but it rarely exceeds 9 feet. 



The country surrounding Lake Borgne consists almost entirely of 

 low tide marshes, with rank growths of marsh vegetation, but scarcely 

 any bushes or trees, and is intersected and cut uj) by numerous narrow 

 channels or bayous. Our visit to this region was at the time of the 

 great flood of the Lower Mississippi, and the basin of the Pearl Kiver 

 was also somewhat affected. The water in all the bayous visited was 

 deeper than usual, owing to backwater from Pearl Kiver. Southern 

 winds continuing for several days freciueiitly have the same effect. 



At this time the water in all these bayous was practically fresh, and 

 even Lake Borgne was not strongly brackish. In the late summer and> 

 fall, however, the water is much shallower. Ordinarily it begins to 

 grow brackish late in April or May, and gradually increases until the 

 fall rains set in, when it becomes gradually less brackish, and during 

 a portion of the winter and early spring it is comparatively fresh. At 

 this time various freshwater species of fishes extend their range even 

 down to Lake Borgne and its connecting bayous. Among them are 

 large-mouthed black bass, catfish, warmouth or " goggle-eye" perch 

 gaspergou, buftalo, gar, and sunfish. During the drier season the 

 opposite result is noticed. The fresh-water species are driven farther 

 F. E. 98 19 



