1898,] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 77 



lakes and ponds, the land is poorly watered, there being but few 

 streams of any size. A spur of the Alleghenies extends through 

 the southeastern corner, terminating in Elk Mountain, which last 

 rises to an altitude of about 3,000 feet and is almost the only emi- 

 nence in the county worthy of the name of mountain, the other hills 

 not rising much above 2,000 feet. The vast tracts of forest, which 

 fifty years ago covered the greater part of the county, now every- 

 where bear witness to the ravages of axe and fire, and are broken 

 up into isolated patches. Among the principal forest trees may be 

 mentioned the Beech, Maple, Hemlock, Chestnut, Birch, and Pine, 

 the last mentioned being, perhaps, the least plentiful of the six. Of 

 these species the Hemlock has doubtless suffered the most, being 

 particularly prized for its bark ; nevertheless it is still found in con- 

 siderable numbers interspersed among the other trees. 



It is in these small, but numerous tracts of primeval forest which 

 yet remain uncut, that we find most of the truly Canadian species. 

 Here such northern birds as Black-throated, Blue, Canadian, Mag- 

 nolia and Blackburnian Warblers, Water Thrushes, Solitary Vireos 

 and Hermit Thrushes are all more or less common, some being abun- 

 dant, but they are almost entirely confined to the deep woods, espe- 

 cially where there is a thick growth of hemlock. Of other Cana- 

 dian species, the Junco seems to be generally confined to the open 

 clearings and pastures bordering on woodland, and is decidedly 

 rare, Elk Mountain being the only locality where it has been found 

 breeding in any numbers. Even here, however, where during the 

 latter part of June, 1894, I found upward of a dozen pairs breed- 

 ing at an altitude of 2,600 feet, not a single bird was observed on a 

 second visit, July 2, 1897. Winter Wreus are conspicuous by their 

 absence, although there seems to be no good reason why this spe- 

 cies should not occur plentifully, unless it be owing to the absence 

 of any very extensive hemlock forests, as before remarked. My 

 only reasou for mentioning them in this paper is that during the 

 first week in July, 1897, I twice heard a song in the depths of a 

 hemlock forest near Dimock, which, although I am not familiar 

 with the bird, I felt almost sure was the note of a Winter Wren. 

 This would seem to point at least to the possibility of its breeding. 



In the open land throughout the greater part of the county, es- 

 pecially in moist upland meadows, Savannah Sparrows are very 

 common, generally breeding in small colonies; while at DundaflT, in 

 the southeastern portion, in open fields at an altitude of some 2,000 



