44 



SMITHSOXIAX MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 



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large grassy tracts with only occasional trees or shrubs. Due to the 

 scarcity of water and, in many places, to large outcrops of bare coral 

 rock, the island is poorly adapted to agriculture, but the grassy up- 

 lands furnish excellent grazing. The forests yield a fair amount of 

 lignum vitae. The party spent three weeks on the north coast, work- 

 ing around Anse Galette and Etroite, and later a week on the south 

 coast in the vicinity of a small fishing village called Pikmi. 



The regions visited on the mainland were St. IMarc, Etang or 

 Alanneville, Fond Parisien, La ^fission, Furcy, and Petionville, with 

 Port au Prince as base. 



Fig. 56. — Royal Palm groves of Fond Parisien. 



Etang is on the northwest shore of Etang Saumatre. a large lake 

 nearly 20 miles east of Port au Prince, bordered on the west by the 

 plains of the Cul de Sac, on the north by the mountains of Grand 

 Bois, and on the south and east by the foothills of La Selle Moun- 

 tains. The lake is about 50 feet below sea level and very salty. 

 Among the interesting natural features of the region is a series of 

 large springs, flowing into the lake through a belt of marshy meadows 

 which are covered by a short sod composed almost entirely of several 

 species of sedges. An excellent opportunity was offered to study 

 both the arid cactus forests and cat-tail marshes that occur in the 

 Cul de Sac. 



The large royal palm groves of Fond Parisien, situated on the 

 southeast shore of Etang Saumatre, give it a picturesque appearance. 



