114 



took a sm ill cedar canoe and explored the narrow tortuous bayou 

 that connects the pool and the river running along the eastern 

 base of the hill. The river had already risen some four or five feet 

 from its lowest level. Few plants were found in the bayou until 

 we had reached a point nearly a mile from the river, where we 

 found the channel completely filled, and our progress stopped, 

 by a heavy sedge, which appeared to grow from the shallow water 

 at each side of the bayou, here about twenty to thirty feet in 

 width, meeting at the center and filling the water for about three 

 or four feet below its surface. The plant was not in flower, and 



that 



Its 



,t be pos 



it this 



vith tl 



Daddle 



s thick as small cornstalks, 

 s with the greatest difficulty 

 d allow the boat to be forced 



A short distance beyond this obstruction, the bayou turned 

 sharply to the west and broadened out into a pool between a 

 quarter and a half mile in length, and with an average width of 

 perhaps a hundred yards. Probably half of it consisted of open 

 water, which swarmed with fish and reptiles. Of the former, we 



:apture 



d fishes 



inge s. 



of them were 

 ral very large 



alligators were seen, and some otters were playing about ; 

 bank. Of the surface which was not clear, the greater portion was 

 thinly covered with slender and sparsely leafy grass-stems, which 

 rose to a height of about six feet above the surface. This plant 

 presented much the appearance of our Zizania, and grew thickly 

 enough to obscure the view at a distance of eighty or one hun- 

 dred feet. The remainder of the pool was covered with floating 

 aquatics and floating leaves, but none of them in bloom at the 

 time. In the midst of a floating mass of this kind, perhaps fifty 

 yards in breadth, many yards from the shore and exposed to the 

 bright sunshine, were many plants of a Habenaria that has been 

 determined by Mr. Rolfe as H. repms Nuttall. They grew 

 singly for the most part. Occasionally several would stand 

 sufficiently near together to have their roots intermingled, but 

 I did not notice any apparent connection. The plants grew in 



