18 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [ocT. 23, 
Dense thickets of Rosa Carolina and R. humilis, besides al- 
most a continuous hedge of the same for miles along the road 
to Gay Head, were just in full blossom, and never before had I 
seen them in any such profusion. Wild grapes also, which are 
very plentiful there, were in blossom, so that between the two 
the atmosphere in places was fairly heavy with perfume. 
The soil of the region traversed, between Vineyard Haven 
and Gay Head, is composed of sand and boulders, with clay 
in limited localities only, so that streams and ponds are very 
rare, the porous soil absorbing the rain almost as soon as it 
falls. There are several little sandy sphagnum swamps, how- 
ever, and a lake (Lake Tashmoo) of some size close to tide- 
water, besides sand beaches and salt water inlets. In general, 
it is a typical scrub-oak region, strikingly like many parts of 
the eastern end of Long Island. 
In the sphagnum swamps Drosera rotundifolia, Galium tri- 
fidum, Schoblera macrocarpa, Limodorum tuberosum, Pogonia 
ophioglossoides and Hriophorum gracile were specially noted. 
In Lake Tashmoo Potamogeton perfoliatus and Ruppia mari- 
tima form masses of vegetation, and along the borders the most 
abundant plants are Dryopteris Thelypteris, Juncus Greenit, Iris 
versicolor, Scutellaria galericulata, Gratiola Virginiana, Lysi- 
machia terrestris, Ptilimnium capillaceum, Nesexa verticillata, 
Potentilla Anserina, Rubus hispidus and Sagina decumbens (2). 
On the high dry ground there are large patches of Hudsonia 
tomentosa with Lechea minor, L. maritima and Helianthemum 
majus. This latter plant occurs in the two very distinct forms— 
one perfectly smooth, the other villous and hoary, in close con- 
tact with each other. The sand barren plants are also repre- 
sented by Viola sagittata, var. ovata, Polygala polygama. Trifol- 
ium arvense, Cracca Virginiana, Prunus maritima, Chrysop- 
sis falcata, Sericocarpus asteroides, Diplopappus linartifolius 
Arctostophylos Uva-Ursi, Kalmia angustifolia, Asclepias obtusi- 
folia, Salix tristis and Cypripedium acaule. Pinus rigida was 
the only pine noted. 
The bulk of the underbrush consists of Gaylussacia frondosa, 
G. resinosa, Vaccinium corymbosum, V. vacillans, V. Pennsyl- 
vanicum, Andromeda ligustrina, Rhododendron viscosum, 
Myrica cerifera, M. Gale, Viburnum dentatum, Amelanchier 
Canadensis, Pyrus arbutifolia, Rhus copallina and the roses 
previously mentioned, while on the ground is an abundant 
growth of Hpigea repens, Gaultheria procumbens, Trientalis 
Americana and Potentilla argentea. Smilax glaucaand Smilax 
rotundifolia, although both were occasionally met with, are 
surprisingly uncommon, and their complete absence from large 
