I902| 



THE ECOLOGY OF THE DELAWARE COAST 



293 



life-saving station (see map), the dunes have retreated quite a 

 distance, and the place now occupied by active dunes was once 

 a line of fixed pine dunes, for the active crest shows knobs still 

 held by pines, and the dead trunks falling on the windward side. 

 Coming from the beach over the waste of drifting sand, back of 

 the life-saving station, and climbing to the crest of this active 

 dune, one is startled by the contrast formed by the view towards 

 the west with that on the windward side of the ridge. The dune 

 is sweeping into a marshy meadow, apparently stretching for 



Fig. 4. — Southwest from life-saving station dune; extreme right, rejuvenated 

 face of old pine dune appearing again at center; active dunes to left ; desert waste in 

 middle distance showing a grass island. 



miles to the southwest, and cut up towards the coast by ridges, 

 upon which stand tall pines. One ridge is seen running nearly 

 perpendicular to the active dune, and others at smaller angles. 

 Fig. 4. shows the rejuvenated face of one of these ridges. Between 

 this rejuvenated dune and the shore just south of the life-saving 

 station lies an active dune complex, containing meadows and 

 swamps. Further to the south the complex spreads out and 



borders a broad level desert 



( 



fig 



4, partially covered by water), the outer line of dunes following 

 the shore, the inner ridge swinging off to the southwest. As 

 the outer series north of Rehoboth is the frontal ridge, it has the 

 sloping sea face sparsely covered with Ammophila, as is the case 



