THE VEGETATION OF THE LOWER WABASH VALLEY. T31 
5°, as when arrested in their fall by another tree, to the prostrate 
log, were in every stage of decay. Some, as they lay rotting on 
the damp ground, were as high as the head, and all completely 
oyerspread by a varied growth of weeds, which here take a hold 
upon every available spot, covering as completely the logs and 
rubbish as they do the ground. 
Emerging, in a somewhat dilapidated condition, from this un- 
 derwood, a beautiful and entirely different scene lay before me; 
a “pond,” but instead of a sheet of dark stagnant water, there 
spread out before me a sea of green vegetation, with the grasses 
and sedges waving, and the Nelumbiums nodding, in the gen- 
tle breeze, while the graceful, delicately foliaged willows, which 
fringed its borders, swayed with every impulse of the wind. 
Above the latter reached upward the spires of the tall cypresses, 
Which stretched out their arms, clad in their fine light green feath- 
ery foliage ; but even these were overtopped by occasional gigantic 
Sycamores which overlooked the entire forest, stretching out for 
miles on every side. This pond, which occupied an area of about 
_ ‘mile and a half in length by a maximum breadth of perhaps half 
amile, was at this time nearly dry, in consequence of the protracted 
summer’s drought. The bed from which the water had entirely dis- 
appeared was covered with a luxuriant growth of handsome and 
Varied species of grasses and sedges, while in the damper spots 
‘Stood tall blades of Scirpus and Typha; and, in the dryer places, 
_ patches of tall marsh mallow (Hibiscus militaris and H. Moscheu- 
_ tos). Toward the centre of the pond the ground grew gradually 
moister, and sustained a growth of Pontederia, Sagittariz, etc., 
then miry, and supporting the broad circular leaves of Nelumbium, 
r and finally formed pools of shallow water, filled with Nuphar, 
7  Nymphæa and other plants, which, being inaccessible to us, we 
Could not determine. As we walked along, about knee-deep in 
s the grasses and Polygonacee of the dryer border of the pond, we 
Shot a large specimen of Nerodia erythrogaster, as it lay on the 
black mud, from which I did not distinguish it until almost stepped 
Upon, As the moister portions were neared, the great blue 
herons (Ardea herodias) would fly up, startling the intruder with 
their horridly discordant squawk, sometimes accompanied in their 
Tetreat by great white herons (Herodias egretta) ; and once a flock 
of a dozen or twenty wood ibis (Tantalus loculator) were dis- 
‘urbed in their rest upon the branches of an old dead sycamore 
