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6/27/50
PETERS.

COASTAL HABITAT.

JUNE 27, 1950 - AT MOUTH OF RIO COAHUAYANA, ABOUT 10 KM. S. OF CITY OF COAHUAYANA, SEA LEVEL.

RIGHT AT THE BEACH THERE ARE COCONUT PALMS, GROWING IN A BEACH WHICH SEEMS TO BE PARTIALLY OR ENTIRELY COMPOSED OF VOLCANIC SEDIMENTS, ASH, PRIMARILY. IT IS A VERY BLACK COLOR. THERE IS A LARGE LAGOON IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE BAR ON WHICH WE CAMPED, WHICH IS QUITE BRACKISH, BUT IS SWEETENED BY THE H2O FROM THE RIVER.  THE THORN SCRUB BEGINS ABOUT 50 - 75 FEET BACK OF THE BEACH LINE, AND CONTINUES WHEREVER IT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO SURVIVE CLEAR BACK TO THE TOWN OF [[strikethrough]] CO [[/strikethrough]] COAHUAYANA, WHICH IS QUITE LOW. I WALKED WEST OF C. AS FAR AS THE RIVER, WHICH IS ABOUT 4 - 5 KILOMETERS, AND ALSO SAW ALL THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE BEACH & C., AND IT IS ALL THE SAME TYPE OF SCRUB. THERE ARE A FEW FIG TREES, QUITE A BIT OF ORGAN PIPE CACTUS AND ALSO A LOT OF THE FLAT, ROUND CACTUS, WHICH WAS IN BLOOM (OCOTILLO?). WHERE IT HAS BEEN CLEARED FOR CROPPING, COCONUT PALMS AND BANANAS ARE GROWN. THERE IS LITTLE WATER IN THE AREA, EXCEPT FOR SOME LOW, RATHER SWAMPY OR BOGGY AREAS. SCATTERED THRU OUT THE AREA ARE LARGE GROUND GROWING BROMELIACEUS PLANTS, OF THE TYPE, WHICH AS LONG, THIN, SPIKE LIKE LEAVES - 6 - 8 FEET LONG, WITH MUCH REDNESS AT THE BASES OF THE OTHERWISE GREENISH LEAVES. THERE ARE ALSO BROMELIADS OF THE SMALL, NARROW LEAVED, LITTLE WATER TYPE IN THE TREES, MANY OF THE TREES ARE HEAVILY FESTOONED WITH VINES, AND THE UNDERBRUSH IS HEAVY AND THORNY, WHICH ALL COMBINES TO MAKE THE MASS IMPENETRABLE, ON OCCASION. 
FROM WHERE WE ARE CAMPED, IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE THE POINT OF SAN JUAN JUTTING OUT INTO THE OCEAN, TO THE EAST. IT HAS A CHARACTERISTIC LIMESTONE WHITISH ABOUT IT, WHERE IT IS BARE OF VEGETATION. IT IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN ANY OF THE COUNTRY ABOUT IT AND THE THORN SCRUB SEEMS TO CONTINUE RIGHT AROUND TO IT.