noveboracensis. Northern white-footed mouse. 8.

Mus musculus musculus. House mouse. 2.

A large buttonbush swamp occurs in the preserve just south of the Galien River, but around this the native trees have been cut away and over its accessible edges it has been heavily pastured, so that it is not at all in its natural conditions, and it was not trapped. In the unpastured flood-plain north of the river there is another buttonbush swamp of several hundred yards extent. This latter area was the one selected for study.

In this typical swamp the buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, is practically the only plant present. It thickly covers the area with its tangled branches, which grow to heights of four to ten feet. The water had drained away in August, leaving the ground bare, though still wet and soft. Under the cover of the buttonbush there is no herbage whatever, and upon the ground there are only a few decaying logs and a few small sticks, which often carry a light growth of moss.

Around the edges of this swamp there is a narrow belt of thick herbage, closely encroached upon by the typical forest of the flood-plain.

Fifty mouse traps set in this habitat took eight northern white-footed mice and two house mice the first night, August 5.

Shore habitat:

Along the shores of the Galien River a narrow strip of bare ground was exposed in July and August. The ground of this strip is mostly mud, but in a few places it is sand or gravel. Usually the habitat is narrow, but in some places it is five to ten feet wide.

Tracks of raccoon were frequent on the shore along the river. From a few mouse traps set on the bare mud shore one northern white-footed mouse was taken August 4 beside a drift log.

Mud-bar herbage habitat:

A few small recently formed mud bars occur along the Galien River in its outer bends. These bars have not yet had time to become forested, and on their outer edges nearest the river there is usually no vegetation, this part being included in the shore habitat. On their older portions next the forest of the flood-plains occurs a thick growth of herbs, several annual grasses, and rarely a willow, Salix sp., or a seedling tree of white elm, Ulmus americana, cottonwood, Populus deltoides, maple, Acer rubrum or saccharinum, and others of the typical flood-plain species. The vegetation during August is very thick, and reaches a height of four to six feet. The soil is either mud or in a few places fine sand, and the ground is quite moist.

In this habitat four northern white-footed mice were trapped August 3–4.

Flood-plain forest habitat:

There are considerable areas of flood-plain along the Galien River, and except for the recently formed mud bars the flood-plains are heavily covered with a mixed forest in which the linden, Tilia americana, white elm, Ulmus americana, and sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, are conspicuous species. Under this forest there are a few small trees, but there is very little underbrush. The herbage also is sparse and, though in a few places there is a considerable growth of ferns, grasses, and sedges, and of other herbs, there are also many bare areas.

One of the significant features of the flood-plains, so far as the mammals are concerned, is the flooding to which these areas are subjected during the spring high-water. At that time the flood-plain for a number of days or weeks may be covered with several feet of water.

During the period between July 29 and August 28 a total of one hundred and seventy mouse traps set in the flood-plain forests along the Galien River took for the first nights' trapping, twenty-two northern white-footed mice and one house mouse. Short-tailed shrews, more white-footed mice, pine voles, and a jumping mouse were secured on nights after the first. Larger traps took during the whole period one raccoon, one New York weasel, and two woodchucks. Several other woodchucks and a number of red squirrels were seen. Ridges of moles were numerous, but no specimens were secured. Tooth marks on an old, partly fallen linden were probably made, perhaps a number of years ago, by a porcupine.

Throughout the woods there are a number of small ravines. These ravines are forested with trees mostly of the flood-plain type, and there is evidence in many of the ravines, at least in their lower parts, that flooding occurs in the ravine bottom during the spring.

Fifty mouse traps set August 26 in a large ravine north of the county road took on the first day five northern white-footed mice and one house mouse. Short-tailed shrews, more white-footed mice, and pine voles were trapped on following days. Here also red squirrels and a cottontail were seen, and tracks of raccoon noted. Evidently the fauna is the same as that of the flood-plain, with which it is here included.

Beech-maple forest habitat:

The climax forest of the region is dominated by the beech, Fagus grandiflora, and the sugar maple, Acer saccharum. The trees in this forest are very large, so that the forest crown is high and the shade dense. Only a few small trees occur and these are mostly young beeches and young sugar maples. The underbrush varies much in height and denseness; mostly it is quite open, so that one can easily walk through the forest, but in a few places the growth is more dense. Common members of the underbrush on the higher ground are the small beeches, sugar maples, and the spice-bush, Benzoin aestivale; while on the lower benches along the river seedlings of the paw-paw dominate the undergrowth. The ground is heavily covered by decaying leaves and a little dead brush and fallen branches, but nearly all the logs have been removed. Early in the spring a thick growth of herbs covers the ground, but by July the herbs are mostly gone, only a few remaining, and there are many small bare areas covered only by leaves. The soil under this