44 Rhodora [ FEBRUARY 
abundant aid received from the birch and alder which grow to its 
very limits, for the outlet has no depth, but the water plunges over 
the smoota reddish granite as do so many of the slope streams of 
Ktaadn. 
In altitude Lake Cowles (2938 ft.), as it may be called, is hardly 
above that of Chimney Pond (2928 ft.) though from the mountain 
it appears several hundred feet higher. While much disappointed 
in this respect we were, however, recompensed with some rare finds. 
Nuphar Kalmianum, Nymphaea odorata minor, Potamogeton confer- 
voides and Zsoéfes heterospora rewarded our endeavors. 
The second pond, less than one half as large, which soon comes 
into sight as one descends the west slope of the Northern Ridge, is 
the most eastern and lies 250 yards to the east, near the confluence 
of the two spurs with North Mountain at the base of our capital letter 
V. Its shore features are similar to those of Lake Cowles except 
that on the east a heath society comes to the waters edge. Davis 
Pond, as we may call it (and not Lake Cowles, the largest of the 
ponds) is fed from above by a high waterfall. This source of water 
supply seems permanent, for we found a brawling mountain torrent 
as we slowly and tremblingly made our way down by the aid of the 
trees over its precipitous and treacherous bed, only to be driven 
back lower down by a vertical wall of nearly 200 ft. and forced to 
cross over and descend by an old avalanche-slide farther to the 
right. 
The outlet of Davis Pond, thus differing from that of Lake Cowles, 
is a permanent stream but must similarly be increased into a power- 
ful plunging waterfall in spring by the great increment of the melt- 
ing mountain snows and heavy rains. Flowing over the steep walls 
of the shelf, the outlet stream plunges down the valley to join that 
of Lake Cowles about a mile below; and together they contribute to 
the Middle Branch of the Wissataquoik some three miles farther 
down the valley. 
The northwest shore of Davis Pond is rather low and has long 
been used as winter yards by deer and moose. In places the trees 
and bushes have been entirely trampled down and killed. In these 
open places have come up a luxuriant growth of grasses, brakes and 
various herbs surrounded by an alder zone. Here we found .Sf/acA- 
num roseum growing in the greatest profusion on the dung of both 
deer and moose. Lycopodium Sitchense, Petasites palmata, Aster puni- 
