408 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



some detail in the members book pub- 

 lished in 1913. P. L. Ricker. 



*Gwynnbrook Slate Game Farm at 

 Gwynnbrook. (B3.) Baltimore County, 

 consisting of 290 acres used to propagate 

 game (at the present time principally 

 quail and pheasants) for distribution to 

 the various counties. 



Baltimore, 16 mi. north; Gwynnbrook 

 Station, Western Maryland R. R. ; or 

 get in touch with the Conservation 

 Commission of Maryland, Munsey 

 Building, Baltimore. C. C. Hamilton. 



Zekiah Swamp. (B3.) Is about 6 

 mi. east of La Plata, the county seat of 

 Charles County, extending for about 13 

 mi. in a northerly and southerly direc- 

 tion, and is about mi. wide. It is a 

 fresh water swamp which has resulted 

 from seepage and also the silting of 

 Zekiah Creek. The interior of the 

 swamp is in virgin timber, while the 

 margins show successive encroachments 

 of the forest upon adjacent cleared 

 lands. In some places, three parallel 

 lines of ditch banks are evident. These 

 parallel ditches represent three lines of 

 defences thrown up at different periods 

 to protect the adjacent cleared land 

 from becoming water logged. Outside 

 of the first ditch, probably built 75 or 

 100 years ago ; and extending to the 

 second ditch, is a growth of timber of 

 corresponding age. Between the second 

 and third ditches is a later growth, of 

 probably 40 or 50 years. Then outside 

 of the third ditch, the younger forest, 

 grading down to very small trees on the 

 outer edge, has encroached extensively 

 into the open spaces, producing a rather 

 wide swamp in some places. 



In the forest may be found opossum, 

 muskrat, squirrels, and other common 

 mammals, and the birds listed for the 

 deciduous forest area. Elevation but 

 little above sea level. 



La Plata, 6 mi. west of the marsh, 

 is on the P. B. & W. R. R. and may 

 be reached from Washington, D. C. 

 F. W. Besley. 



A peculiar upland swamp. (B4.) 7 

 mi. northeast of Oakland, near Thayers- 

 ville, covering some 10 acres on which is 

 found tamarack, black spruce, Canadian 

 yew, cranberry bogs, and vegetation 

 peculiar to this type. So far as I know 

 this is the southernmost native stand 

 of tamarack. There is another swamp 

 somewhat similar near Cranesville, 

 about 10 mi. northwest from the one 

 described. About 2500 ft. 



Oakland, 7 mi. N.E., B. & 0. R. R.; 

 one mi. N.E. from (W) Thayersville, 

 Md . F. W. Besley. 



Swallow Falls. (B4.) OntheYoughi- 

 ogheny River, 7 mi. north of Oak- 

 land, Garrett County, which has for its 

 setting a 10 acre virgin forest of hem- 

 lock, with its undergrowth of rhodo- 

 dendron and other types associated with 

 hemlock. The animals are those com- 

 mon to western Maryland. 2600 ft. 



Oakland, 7 mi. north, B. & O. R. R. 

 (a) or wagon to the swamp. F. W. 

 Besley. 



Magnolia Bogs. (C4.) Extending 

 along Indian Creek from Ammendale, 

 Hollywood, Riverdale, Hyattsville, 

 Bladensburg, Reform School and Deane- 

 wood, a distance of about 15 mi. This 

 is boggy land, due to water from the 

 adjacent hills, which seeps out from a 

 layer of sand between two layers of 

 clay and is intensely cold. The com- 

 mon mammals are present but scarce. 

 See McAtee, W. L.; A sketch of the 

 Natural History of the District of 

 Columbia with an index map. Bulletin 

 of the Biological Society of Washington. 

 No. 1, May, 1918, pages 74-90. Should 

 be preserved. 



Washington, D. C. Any of the above 

 mentioned places can be reached to 

 within a short distance by trolley. 

 /. W. Harshberger. 



*Edgewood^ Government Reservation. 

 (C2.) Consists of a tract of approxi- 

 mately 16 sq. mi. extending along the 

 west bank of the Chesapeake Bay 

 between the Bush and Gunpowder 

 Rivers, a distance of 8 mi. The tract 

 extends from the bay back to the Penn- 

 sylvania R. R., an average distance of 

 2 mi. It is used for a Government 

 Arsenal. Much of this is low, marshy 

 land and is covered with second growth 

 timber consisting of oak, gum and tulip. 

 Wild life of all kinds abounds here. 

 Geese, ducks of many kinds and the 

 whistling swan are found on the waters ; 

 otter, mink, opossums and other animals 

 are found in the woods. The reserva- 

 tion is under military supervision and a 

 permit is necessary to enter the ground. 

 However, it offers exceptional oppor- 

 tunities for studying plant and animal 

 life undisturbed. 



Baltimore, about 18 mi. southwest of 

 southern part of the reservation; Edge- 

 wood Station, Penn. R. R. It would 

 be advisable to write the Commanding 

 Officer, Edgewood Arsenal, Edgewood, 

 Maryland, to make arrangements to 

 investigate the reservation. C. C. 

 Hamilton. 



