NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



459 



fresh or only brackish due to the heavy 

 rains many of these fresh-water species 

 came down the rivers and even into 

 waters that during the summer and the 

 early fall were brackish or salty. Dur- 

 ing this dry season the fresh-water 

 species were replaced by brackish or 

 salt-water species which extended their 

 range up into the bays and the bayous. 

 They included common mullet, sheeps 

 head (Archosargus probatocephalus) , 

 spotted sea-trout (Cynoscion nebulosus), 

 red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), croaker 

 (Micropogon undulatus), and gulf men- 

 haden (Brevoortia tyrannus patronus}. 



Starfish, shrimp, crabs including the 

 primitive horseshoe crab (Limulus poly- 

 phemus), lobsters, mussels, and oysters 

 were among the common salt-water 

 invertebrates. Toads, tree toads and 

 frogs were abundant as were lizards 

 and turtles. Common turtles were 

 alligator snapping turtle and southern 

 soft shelled (Trionyx ferox), and in the 

 salt marshes the diamond-back terrapin 

 (Malaclemmys centrata concentrica] . The 

 gopher turtle (Gopherus polyphemus) 

 was common on the land. Alligators 

 frequented the rivers and the bayous. 



The birds of this region were numer- 

 ous. Many spent a portion of the year 

 here, others were permanent residents. 

 The following were once abundant but 

 are no longer common or are extinct: 

 white pelicans, Wilson's tern, fish 

 ducks, bufflehead, roseate spoonbill*, 

 whitef and wood ibisf, bittern, white 

 egret*, snowy egret f, Louisiana heron, 

 whooping crane*, and coot. 



Note: For detailed accounts of the 

 flora, topography, and geology of the 

 State see: 



Plants of Mississippi, Bulletin No. 

 17f. Forest Conditions of Mississippi, 

 Bulletin No. 11; and Mississippi, Its 

 Geology, Soils and Mineral Resources, 

 Bulletin No. 12, by E. N. Lowe, Missis- 

 sippi State Geological Survey. 



II. NATURAL AREAS 



pCat Island. (A2.) Off the Gulf 

 coast, Gulfport, Harrison County, 

 Mississippi, 



Especially desirable as a site for a 

 biological station. Good collecting 

 grounds for insects, salt water fauna and 

 flora, oak, huckleberry, haw, oleander, 

 Ilex, and Salvia. Island uninhabited, 

 one small cabin, seldom visited. 



To Gulfportt, Miss., take gasoline 

 boat for trip (about 30 dollars), about 20 

 mi. south. 



Horseshoe Lake, Tallahatchie River. 

 (B2.) Frequently flooded during winter 

 months. Densely forested oak, 



cypress, hickory, and holly. Has been 

 cut-over for big timber and occasionally 

 burned by small fires. Animals: craw- 

 fish, fresh water mussels, turtles, ter- 

 rapins, snakes, fish: cat, trout, perch, 

 eels, gar, etc., opossum, raccoon, mink, 

 skunk, squirrel, rats, gray fox, swamp 

 rabbit, muskrat, rarely beaver*, many 

 birds. (See Louisiana for details of 

 birds.) 



I. C. Railway to Oxfordf, Miss. 



Brush Lake. Very small lake between 

 Mississippi River and present levee. 

 Surrounded by forest, disturbed as little 

 as any in this section. 



Y. andM. V. Railway to Robinsonville, 

 Miss. 



Plymouth Bluff and Flat. (D5.) One 

 of the most northerly points where 

 palmetto is found growing under natural 

 conditions in Mississippi. $0 foot bluff 

 on west side of Tombigbee River. Selma 

 chalk over Eutaw sands. Fossiliferous 

 sharks' teeth, oyster shells, etc. Small 

 ravines. Densely forested oaks, chest- 

 nut, birch, pine. Prairie across river on 

 which palmetto and similar vegetation 

 occur in natural condition. On the 

 bluff slopes semi-xerophytism through 

 mesophytism down to hydrophytism as 

 indicated by the trees: 



Post oak, black jack oak, 

 hickories. 



Read toward the 

 right and up- 

 ward, to / Cedar, pine, 

 higher and / Spanish oak, black oak, red oak _ 



drier/ Tulip tree, Quercus schneckii, lin- 

 ground / dens, chestnut oak, black locust. 



/ Sycamore, river birch, cotton wood. 

 / Cypress. 



Surface of water 

 of river. 



Southern or M. & O. Railway to 

 Columbusf, Miss. C. R. Evans and 

 Gladys Hoke. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



Apgar, A. C. 1898 Birds of the United 

 States. 



