VOL. XVI, PP. 63-72 MAY 29, 1903 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



MAMMALS OF MT. KATAHDIN, MAINE. 



BY B. H. DUTCHER. 



In the summer of 1902, I spent from July 10 to September 5 

 in an attempt to determine the mammalian fauna, and in general 

 the faunal zones of Mt. Katahdin in north central Maine. This 

 mountain was chosen because, as far as I know, no mammal 

 work had ever been done in its vicinity, and because of its 

 height and isolated position. 



The old idea of Katahdin, printed even in geographies, was 

 that of an extinct volcano, an assumption very excusable in 

 those whose views of the mountain were from a distance, for the 

 "basins" or heads of the old glacial valleys on the eastern side, 

 with their wide encircling walls on the north and south, give 

 the appearance of a great crater blown out on one side. A 

 closer examination reveals the fact that the mountain is in reality 

 a granite ridge of very irregular outline with its major axis 

 lying north and south, flanked by precipitous buttresses, the 

 glacial retaining walls, that project out to the east, west, and 

 north, and drop rapidly away in slopes of high degree on face 

 and point. On the east, north, and west are a number of smaller 

 ridges, timber covered, nestling under the shelter of the greater 

 mountain, and separated from it by valleys and basins. These 

 minor ridges, Hunter Mountain, Traveler Mountain and the 

 20-PROC. BIOL. Soc. WASH. VOL. XVI, 1903. (63) 



