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fire, which had passed through and left the ground I'ough and tussocky. 

 Between this meadow just described and the lake, near the lake shore, 

 were plenty of low bushes, which had proljably been saved by the prox- 

 imity of the lake and possililc resulting saturation of the ground, or more 

 prol>ably by the amount of sand In the low Ice ridge upon which they grew. 

 A few characteristic portions of the lake plain will be described in order: 



(1) At the Assembly grounds, where the lake plain was once quite 

 broad, it has been modified l)y filling in, and by the construction of base 

 ball grounds and race track. This portion is now a level field overgrown 

 with grass. 



"(2) The portion of the lake plain bordering on the southern end of the 

 Assembly groimds was once brushy like the portion next to be described 

 now is, but the Inush has been cleared off. At present it is a level tract, 

 covered thickly with sedges and ferns. Toward midsummer it is made 

 purple in patches by the blossoms of loosestrife, Lythrum alatum. Later 

 in the year there is a zone of blue about tlie height of one's head from the 

 many blos&oms of tall blue vervain, while later still the ground is yellow 

 in places with blossoms of the cone-flower or black-eyed susan. which 

 grows in great abvmdance here, and blossoms quite late in the season. 



Farther on dowTi, near the Biological Station, the lalie plain is more in 

 its natural condition. Here, at the foot of the hills, is a belt of sensitive 

 fern extending for a good wa.v along the edge of the plain. The whole 

 plain is pretty densely covered with low clumps of Cornus, willows, Caro- 

 lina I'ose, and button-bush. _ An examination of this region shows three 

 distinct formations of vegetation. Upon a casual glance one sees very little 

 but bushes. A close examination, lower down toward the ground, will 

 show a thickish growth of tall sedges and a few coarse grasses, while an 

 examination still nearer the surface of the ground will reveal a growth of 

 slender prairie fern. These formations are shown to particularly good 

 advantage where artificial agencies have been at work. Where the bushes 

 only are removed, one sees for the most part simply a level stretch of tall, 

 narrow-leaved sedge, with a few stalks of tall grass here and there. 

 Where the grass has been mown one sees an unbroken patch of fern. 



In the vicinity of the laboratories a low-ground forest, already de- 

 scribed, comes down entirely to the water's edge. South of this is another 

 stretch of lake plain. This plain is mostly devoid of bushes, except a 

 narrow fringe along on the low ice ridge. It is covered with sedges, tall 

 grasses and an nndpr-foi'iiiation of marsh fern. The distribution of plants 



