﻿FIELD AND FOREST. 93 



The Little Cypress Swamp of Indiana. 



Among the most interesting of the trees of the eastern forest-region 

 of North America, on account of curious pecularities of growth, as 

 well as somewhat remarkable distribution, is the Bald Cypress ( Taxo- 

 dium distichum,) a species found only in the southern sections of the 

 country, and there confined to the lowest swamps along the Atlantic 

 coast and in the Mississippi Valley. Its northern limit to the east- 

 ward is said to be the state of Delaware, in latitude 38 30', while in 

 the interior it extends farther northward, or beyond latitude 40 , in 

 Indiana and Illinois. In many portions of the Southern States this 

 tree attains an immense size, while some specimens growing in Mex- 

 ico, described by Humboldt and other travellers, almost rival the 

 mammoth 5^«'^ of California. The celebrated Bartram mentions 

 in his book of travels in the Carolinas and Florida, trunks of these 

 trees " that would measure eight, ten and twelve feet in diameter, for 

 forty and fifty feet straight shaft," (page 92) while we have seen many 

 whose conical bases measured 40 feet and upwards in circuit. 



In the south-western portion of Knox County, Indiana, is a swamp 

 having a total area of about 20,000 acres, most of which is timbered 

 more or less with this tree. These swamps consist of clusters of 

 ponds, of various sizes, generally open towards the centre, and all 

 drained by connecting " sloughs " or " bayous " which lead through a 

 single deeper channel into White River, a short distance above the 

 confluence of that stream with the Wabash. We have visited only the 

 lower portion of this locality, where our explorations were entirely 

 limited to what is down on the maps as the " Little Cypress Swamp," 

 many times smaller than the " Big Swamp " farther northward. 



The general character of the Little Cypress Swamp, is that of a 

 group of elongated ponds in the midst of a heavy forest, their general 

 direction being nearly North and South. The largest of these may be 

 a mile in length by about a quarter in width, though actual survey 

 would probably result in smaller measurements. These ponds are fre- 

 quently dry in mid-summer, with the exception of little pools in 

 the lowest depressions, which during the season of drought so swarm 

 with fish and tortoises that the water is in constant motion from the 

 restless movements of these animals confined within such narrow limits. 

 The general appearance of these ponds at such a time, is that of a 



