221 



the way. Although there are many fields of corn, cotton, sweet 

 potatoes, peanuts, etc., in this part of the coastal plain, there was 

 generally plenty of virgin forest in sight. More swamps and 

 bogs were seen west of Norfolk than on the peninsula, but no 

 true pine-barrens, or ponds, in either part of the journey. 



The prevailing aspects of the vegetation in each region passed 

 through can be inferred from the following lists, in each of which 

 the species conspicuous enough to be recognizable from the train 

 are divided first into trees, shrubs, and herbs, and then arranged 

 as nearly as possible in order of frequency, as determined by the 

 number of times each was seen. Species noted only once in a 

 given region are omitted from these lists in most cases, however. 

 The nomenclature used is that of Robinson & Fernald's Manual, 

 1908. 



Civilization has of course destroyed most of the original vege- 

 tation by this time, but it probably has not greatly changed 

 the relative frequency of the native species in that which 

 remains. 



In the Cretaceous region of Delaware the country is so largely 

 deforested that the herbs visible from the railroad are mostly 

 weeds, and therefore hardly worth mentioning. The commonest 

 trees seem to be Liriodendron Tulipifera, Liquidanibar Styraciflua, 

 Salix nigra, Castanea dentata, Qiierais alba, Cornus florida, and 

 Acer rubrtmi. 



As no distinct natural boundaries were recognized between 

 Townsend and Cape Charles, I have subdivided this 170 miles of 

 the journey arbitrarily by the two state boundaries crossed. This 

 method, although not very scientific, brings out the gradual 

 change of vegetation in going southward about as well as any 

 other that might be selected. 



Between Townsend and Delmar (which is on the boundary 

 between Delaware and Maryland, as the name signifies), a distance 

 of 68 miles, the following species were the most conspicuous : 



Trees. — Pinus Taeda, P. virginiana, Magnolia virginiana, 

 Liquidanibar, Nyssa sylvatica {?), Liriodendron, Castaiiea dentata, 

 Salix nigra, Acer rubruin, Cornus florida, Qiierciis alba, Q. falcata, 

 Q. Phellos, Diospyros virginiana. 



