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Alternate Title

The Fauna and Flora of Horn Island, Mississippi

Document Type

Article

Abstract

From 26 February 1944 until 4 February 1945, I was stationed with the U. S. Army on Horn Island, Mississippi, and decided to observe and record the animals and plants existing there. At the time, it seemed that little attention had been devoted to the wildlife of this island, but eventually it became apparent that some studies had been made. However, many of the observations have not been published and many of the records of the flora and fauna living on and around the island are scattered and unavailable. The most outstanding papers include those of Lloyd and Tracy (1901), Lowe (1921), and Pessin and Burleigh (1941). Cook (1942, 1943 a and b) described several of the animals observed. Smith and List (1955) recorded a number of amphibians and reptiles which were collected on Horn Island.

Since 1945 more attention has been paid to this subject. Kopman (1946) enlightened the public regarding the seasonal activity of the animals and changing conditions in the Mississippi Sound region in his delightful “Wild Acres,” a book of the Gulf Coast country. From 1940 on many scientists and students of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory visited Horn Island, but still comparatively little has been published. Rings and Richmond (1953) presented a brief survey on the mosquitoes collected by them during 1944 and 1945; the species listed by them, together with two additional ones, are included in this paper.

The animals and plants actually collected or observed on Horn Island are listed in Part IV. Besides those collected by myself, species reported by other investigators are included. Longer study and more intensive collecting would doubtless result in many additions to the fauna and flora as known at present.

First Page

59

Last Page

106

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