110 



vola, are abundant and wide spreading. Upon the dune crests, 

 most abundant, are Ammophila and two grapes, Vitis labrusca 

 and V. aestivalis; the black cherry, Prunus serotina; the trumpet 

 creeper, Tecoma radicans, and poison ivy, Rhus radicans, all 

 serving to check drifting sand thus producing dunes which here 

 rise to the height of thirty feet above the sea. Standing upon 

 the dune crests and looking eastward one may see a dune com- 

 plex with its hillocks and blowouts and projecting snags of red 

 cedar, Juniperus virginiana, grave-markers of an ancient forest 

 smothered by wind-swept sands long ago. To the west a dense 

 forest completely covers the lee slopes and extends to the salt 

 marshes. 



The tangle of vines, briers, shrubs and scrub oaks render pas- 

 sage through the undergrowth of the forest almost impossible 

 without the aid of a cutting instrument. The term 'forest com- 

 plex' is altogether appropriate for this plant association. The 

 trees most frequently found are: the two oaks, Quercus falcata, 

 and Q. minor; the holly, Ilex opaca; red cedar, Juniperus vir- 

 giniana, and Sassafras officinalis. The common shrubs are the 

 bayberry, Myrica carolinensis, and black cherry, Prunus sero- 

 tina, while the vines are: cat brier, Smilax rotundifolia, trumpet 

 creeper, poison ivy, and the two grapes mentioned above. On 

 the floor of the forest are occasional, distinctive, large patches 

 of prickly pear, Opuntia vulgaris, occurring even where there 

 is a heavy growth of juniper and scrub oaks and consequently 

 much shade. 



At Beach, Illinois 



The south and east shores of Lake Michigan are renowned for 

 their sand dunes and dune complexes extending from Gary, Ind., 

 eastward through Michigan City and northward to the Straits of 

 Mackinac. Efforts being put forth by learned societies and other 

 organization are likely to succeed in securing reservations and 

 protection for a representative portion of the Indiana dunes 

 through favorable state legislation. The dunes along the eastern 

 coast seem likely to preserve themselves by natural causes in 

 spite of the inroads of railroads and summer resorts. On the 

 other hand, the very narrow strip of dunes along the west shore 

 of Lake Michigan, extending, at one time, from Chicago north- 

 ward through Lake View and Rogers Park to Evanston, and 

 further north, from Waukegan to Zion City, are nearly extinct 

 due to lakeshore erosion, the extension of the suburbs of Chicago 



