46o AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Friday, July ist, 1904. — We returned to Bridgeton. 



Tuesday, July 5th. — The territory from Middle Marsh to Back creek is similar 

 in character to that about Middle Marsh. There are more duck-ponds, and 

 in places the under-soil is not as solid. There are numerous breeding places, 

 as indicated. We reached Back creek at 5 130 P. M., just as a thunderstorm 

 was getting up in the northwest. We anchored at the mouth of Back creek 

 and walked to the west as far as point marked (2). Everything but largest 

 pools was dry. Only three adults noticed in a mile walk. Elder bushes, 

 marsh grass and sedge was the growth. There were no larvae, but plenty of 

 breeding places. Marsh grass was very short. Marsh safe along ditches. 

 Heavy sod and firm under-soil. We returned to the boat just in time to avoid 

 rain, which fell for half an hour. 



_ Wednesday, July 6th. — We went up Back creek. The same territorial condi- 

 tions exist. The larger pools had a little more water, but the mud-spot and 

 smaller places were only damp. The large pools had perpendicular sides, 

 showing the character of the marsh with respect to probability of the ditching 

 holding sides. Tweed creek runs almost dry at low water. Landings were 

 made at the cross ditches and all four sides examined. The character of the 

 marsh does not change. No larvae were found. The marsh neighboring the 

 Drum Bed was next visited. Marsh grass was longer, the turf thick, soil 

 clayey, plenty of breeding area was found. Very few adults. From this point 

 south rat houses and runs wei"e not found. In this locality there were some 

 pools (small) shaded by grass, from which vial No. 11 was obtained. In most 

 of these pools shells of larvae were found. The bay shore to Cedar creek has 

 the same kind of sand along water's edge and marsh bordering shore, as ob- 

 served, toward the north. Tramping was done in neighborhood of Bower's 

 and Howell's creeks. On right, going up, there were duck-ponds and many 

 breeding places. The marsh was very dry. Dead grass cracked under feet. 

 No larvae were found. Dead fish were found in pools. The sod is heavy and 

 soil clayey. Water in creek at extreme low tide is brackish, but at flood tide 

 it is salt. On left side of creek marsh is the same. 



Thursday, July 7th. — Mantuxent creek comes next. Tramping was done in 

 places indicated by places marked. Larger pools have fish. The smaller ones 

 were drj^ Sollicitans numerous. No larvae were found. Mud cracked and 

 in places curled. All through this marsh the sod is thick and soil clayey. 

 These conditions describe the marsh so far as Newport Landing. Low tide 

 prevented further passage up creek The character of the bay shore to Dyer's, 

 Padgett's, Low and Pigs, Beedon's and Fortesque creeks is sandy at immedi- 

 ate water's edge and marshy within a short distance of shore. The marsh 

 about these creeks has many breeding places between creeks. Between Dyer's 

 and Padgett's, duck-ponds and smaller pools were numerous. There is a 

 great sand bank along the bay shore, probably six to seven feet above marsh 

 level. Exceptionally high tides do not cover this sand bank, but do get on the 

 marsh. There is much breeding area on the marsh straight to Fortesque. 

 The sand bank along shore is high all the way to Fortesque. The sod is thick 

 and soil firm. A great deal of hay is carted from this locality. The road 

 used by the teams becomes a breeding place.. If bushes and the poorest of 

 salt hay were spread along the marsh, with the addition of other available 

 materials, and if ditches were dug on each side of this roadwa}^, the difficulty 

 would be overcome. 



Friday, July 8th. — The marsh about Fortesque is very bad. A large part 

 of it is owned by Captain Lehman Garrison, Bridgeton, New Jersey. From 

 Fortesque all the way to Straight creek was one succession of breeding area. 

 We went up Straight creek and tramped about in places indicated by red 

 lines. The sod is always heavy and the under soil generally clayey. There 

 are places, marked by red dots in the lines where soft mud holes, salt holes, 

 are numerous. Adults were found in abundance. Vial No. 12 was obtained 

 at Straight creek. I found larvae in shaded pools. We anchored in Fishing 

 creek for the night. Water in these creeks is salt. 



Saturday, July gth. — We traversed the full length of Fishing creek, going" 

 up with and returning with the tide. We expected to get out into Oranoaken 



