THE VEGETATION OF THE LOWER WABASH VALLEY. 727 
with the lower branches bearded with black moss-like pendent tufts 
of Ramalina. Back of this, on every side, stood the dark tall 
wall of forest, against which the white arms of the huge old syca- 
mores shone out in striking relief by the strong contrast. Arriving 
at the shore, and going out into the woods, we found them to be 
almost completely primitive in their condition, and so dark and 
silent that one could easily imagine himself in a wholly uninhabited 
= Yegion, there being few traces of the work of the axe, which mar 
so sadly the beauty of the forests in more thickly settled districts. 
_ The fine old trees still stood in all their majesty, above the luxu- 
 tiant and tangled undergrowth of a virgin forest. The largest 
trees were, of course, the gigantic sycamores (Platanus occiden- 
_ talis) with trunks 25 to 30 feet in circumference, and of varying 
length, and a total height of 160 to near 200 feet; but the bur 
oak (Quercus macrocarpa) was very abundant, and had attained 
an unusual size, very many trunks measuring 18 or 20 feet in 
circumference, above the larger base, and supporting a wide-spread 
head of astonishing massiveness. owhere else had we seen 
= the sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) growing in greater 
_ abundance and to such magnificent proportions. In the damper 
parts of this forest it formed the prevailing growth and seemed 
to vie with the majestic pecan (Carya olivæformis) in its tower- 
ing height, and on the tall, slender, and perfectly straight trunk, 
Supported a spreading, umbrella-shaped top. Many of these gum 
trees were, no doubt, 180 feet, or probably more, in height, while 
the longest shafts appeared to considerably exceed 100 feet in 
length, and were 16 or 17 feet in circumference. The white elm 
(Ulmus Americana) and honey locust (Gleditschia triacanthos) 
also approached the sweet gums and pecans in size; the height of 
the largest individuals being carefully estimated at 130 to 150 feet, 
Pie oe A EN aa ea PS E Be e Ce N ee ee ce ea Pee eee la e 
parasitic mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) which plant evinces 
in this region a striking partiality to these trees. The beautiful 
Catalpa, or ‘cigar tree” (Catalpa bignonioides), grew as a com- 
mon species among the underwoods and attained a common size - 
of 60 feet in height and over 2 feet in diameter; its foliage was 
ery luxuriant, a leaf plucked from a large tree measuring 18 
inches in length by 13 in breadth. The other underwoods were 
