422 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JUNE 
escarpments which indicate the presence of the clay elsewhere, 
as along a portion of the north shore of White lake. One 
must go five or six miles from the lake to find the clay at the 
surface except near Montague and Whitehall where it appears 
tn situ. The sand of the more level portion varies in depth from 
two or three feet to twenty-five or thirty or more, rising in low 
bluffs by the shores of the lake. The line of contact of the clay 
and sand is best shown bya series of springs along the shore and 
by the brooks. 
This regional structure has its effect on the drainage, and by 
molding the hydrographic character of the basin has a corres- 
ponding influence on the flora. This differs very materially in 
species and distribution on the opposite sides of White lake. 
On the south side springs and streams are common, and the 
clay comes nearer to the surface, especially in depressions 
between the low sand ridges where the streams mainly occur. 
On the north side springs and streams are absent except some 
small ones at Montague. A large brook comes from the clay 
hills at the north through a rather deep valley lying between 
the high shore dunes and the main body of the plain, and makes 
its way into the old outlet of White lake that lay in the same 
depression. It is a perennial stream of cool water abundantly 
fed by springs and has the same effect on the flora along its 
course as does the stream-fed area to the south of the lake. 
Between this stream and Montague there are no beds even for 
storm water except near Long point where a couple enter the 
head of a narrow bay, now a pond and marsh, cut off from the 
lake by a filling of sand and saw-mill refuse. As they were dry 
at the time I was there, they were plainly only channels for 
storm water. The rain as it falls sinks into the sand and 
makes its way to the lake at or below the water level, or east- 
ward toward Montague and to the perennial brook to the west- 
ward. 
This indicated a drier region and a greater depth of sand. 
The flora was correspondingly modified. It was prevailingly 
xerophytic, ericaceous and arenophilous plants predominating. 
