1901] Williams, — Floras of Mts. Washington & Katahdin. 161 
to possess a considerable subalpine and alpine region. On the sum- 
mit ridges of both the botanist can revel in miles of the stony wastes 
and upland bogs that yield the rare treasures of high mountains, while 
his spirits are uplifted every time he raises his eyes from the ground 
by the soul stirring scenery displayed before him on all sides. 
Indeed, if the botanist be a mountain lover as well,—and what 
botanist is not, — he will prefer Katahdin for its ruggedness, its sum- 
mits as yet undefiled by the handicraft of man, and its magnificent 
panorama of numberless lakes and streams, in which last feature 
it is conspicuously superior to Washington. 
While the general conditions of both mountains are alike, Katah- 
din differs from Washington in many minor particulars. It is 
distinctly more arctic, for one thing, although it is only 112 miles 
more northerly. ‘The timber line, which on Washington averages 
4000 ft. altitude, barely averages 3100 ft. in the Great Basin of Kat- 
ahdin and 2200 ft. on the southern slopes; this last being partly 
due, however, to their excessive steepness. ‘The entire summit ridge 
in fact, while in the greater part of its length somewhat flat, falls 
away precipitously on all sides. There being no easy grade to the 
summit of Katahdin, like the Fabyan ridge or the Crawford range 
of Washington, the flora of its slopes is found in scantier patches, 
the plants themselves being smaller and more stunted than on the 
latter mountain. Prevalent as are the fogs and abundant as is the 
precipitation on Washington, Katahdin appears to be an even wetter 
mountain. This is probably due to its isolation. It lies alone in 
the vast Maine wilderness, except for some ranges of lesser moun- 
tains to the North and Northwest, so that clouds form freely about its 
summits. We can generally count on good collecting weather on 
Washington in July; on Katahdin, not until August according to the 
guides. We were on Katahdin from July 8th to July 17th and it 
rained every day but one. During a ten days' stay in the immediate 
neighborhood, in February of this year, the mists gathered over the 
summits every day, pouring snow into the ravines, just as they had 
poured rain over us last summer. The local guides assured us that 
snow reaches a depth of eighteen feet in the Great Basin, where our 
camp was located, — truly an arctic condition of things ! 
The summit ridge or backbone of Katahdin, as will be seen by a 
glance at the accompanying map, is shaped like a huge fishhook, the 
shank of which lies toward the Northeast and the opening of the 
