INAS DEORUD AS UN Gil ER 
Woe “Abc 
TORNADAY. 
On the East coast of Florida, half way » Malay Peninsula and Borneo I have seen 
down the long ribbon of green jungle that 
separates the ocean from Indian river, there 
is a real haven of rest. Ona certain square 
mile of land and water, just 40 miles below 
Cape Canaveral as the fishcrow flies, nature 
has poured out a wealth of botanical and 
zoological treasures almost beyond belief. 
If I should place before you a list of the 
different kinds of beasts, birds, reptiles and 
fishes that have been taken within one mile 
of Oak Lodge, I could scarce expect to be 
believed without the added testimony of the 
score of well known naturalists and artists 
who have been attracted to that wonder- 
land. 
Two hundred miles below Jacksonville 
you alight from the train at Grant, a flag- 
station in the pine woods on the West bank 
of Indian river. There are but 5 houses to 
be seen. If you have announced your com- 
ing, Captain Latham is at the little yellow 
station, to greet you, and to trundle you 
and your baggage on a tiny tram-car down 
to the end of the little dock, where lies the 
safe and comfortable Lida, in which you 
sail across the river to Oak Lodge. Old 
timers leave all their cares and worries on 
the Western shore, and begin to rest the 
moment tie leidas ines anescast Ono 
thou likewise; and may you have a North 
breeze and a moon, so that you can sail 
straight across into the North end of Mul- 
let creek, and glide smoothly Southward 
with scores of silvery mullet jumping out 
of the water for your diversion, and the 
herons squawking a droll welcome from 
theimesmucs LetreatSeim s jeimkasy leat «ama 
pn Oucenslands se iy OtlmNcatti yard srotinieecital 
ammunition, the herons will be silent; but 
if you have none, and would not kill a heron 
for a $5 bill, they will greet you joyously. 
The “ big freeze” of 1895 killed most of 
the mangroves on the 4 big islands in front 
of Oak Lodge, and their bare stems now 
point to heaven a forest of gray fingers in 
silent protest against their fate. It will be 
some years before nature repairs this dam- 
age, and until then the islands will lack the 
dense green fringes which once made them 
so beautiful. . 
But the jungle surrounding Oak Lodge 
is unharmed, and never was more beautiful 
than it is to-day. The frosts of 95 and '96 
killed the growing crops of vegetables, but 
it brought no harm to Nature’s botanical 
gardens. I am thankful that it did not. 
In the West Indies, in South America, the 
some of the beauties of tropical vegetation, 
but never elsewhere in one spot have I seen 
such a glorious tropical tangle of palms, 
orchids, epiphites, ferns and mosses as are 
found about Oak Lodge. There are live 
oaks in plenty, but I do not give them 
special prominence because I have seen 
larger and finer ones elsewhere. 
For nearly half a mile back from the bank 
of Mullet creek, nature simply runs riot. 
The cabbage palms are more luxuriant than 
on the mainland—and in such rich leai- 
mould they should be. The land is a fine, 
dry ridge, and there is not a square foot of 
swamp until you reach the big savanna 
toward the North, where the round-tailed 
muskrats live. The live oaks strive with the 
cabbage palms for possession, with varying 
results; and it is where the oaks are that 
we find hundreds of splendid tillandsias of 
2 species, one with crimson bracts and one 
with white. They grow on the live oaks, 
like’ ‘pineapple ‘plants; and are called 
orehidss7 &waldt pimtesi) Oi sen dine plants 
as the caller prefers. Whatever they are 
called, they are far more decorative to a 
tropical jungle than any real orchids I have 
ever seen. They do not draw their life from 
the trees, and in the hot-house or the home 
all they ask is a semi-weekly cup of water, 
poured inva the top: On the Mastacoas. 
neither of the tillandsias grow more than 
15 miles North of Oak Lodge, and at pres- 
ent their beauty and their decorative value 
are not in the least appreciated in the North. 
Where you find the live oaks and the til- 
landsias, there will you also find tons of 
pendent Spanish moss, and great tree- 
trunks literally smothered by the wonder- 
ful resurrection fern. Every large stem of 
live oak that lies nearly horizontal is loaded 
with them. In dry weather they lose their 
color, turn gray, Shrivel up as if fire had 
burned them, and seem dead past all hope. 
But go into the jungle after a soaking rain 
has fallen, and lo, a miracle! Every hori- 
zontal trunk is a fern bed of brilliant green, 
luxuriant and fresh almost beyond belief. 
On the night of February 16th, nearly 4 
inches of rain poured down at Oak Lodge, 
and we shall never forget the sight of ferns 
that greeted our eyes the next day. 
Butterfly orchids are also abundant on 
the live oaks, and although they should 
have their share of attention, they are so 
eclipsed by other and more showy forms 
they are hardly noticed. The saw pal- 
=. 

