172 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



shrubs of this belt are blue huckleberry 

 (Vaccinum ovalifolium), fool's huckle- 

 berry (Mcmiesia ferruginca) , mountain 

 box {Pachisliyna myrsinites) , blackberry 

 (Rubus nivalis), and dwarf cornel or 

 bunch-berry, (Cornus canadensis). 

 Among the herbs are Clintonia (C. 

 uniflora), fairy-bells {Disporum ore- 

 ganum) and two species of wood-sorrel 

 {Oxalis oregann and 0. trillifolia) . 



Mammals. The following species of 

 mammals occur more or less generally 

 in the montane forests over the state: 

 raccoon {Procyon psora pacifica), marten 

 (Maries americana group), black bear, 

 cougar {Felis concolor group), bob-cat 

 {Lynx fasciatus group). Cascade redfox 

 {Vulpes cascadensis, in Cascades), yel- 

 low-haired porcupine {Erelhizon epixan- 

 thum), deer-mouse (Peromyscus manicu- 

 lahis group), woodrat {Neotoma cinerea 

 occzdeniah's), red-backed vole {Evotomys), 

 jumping-mouse {Zapus), chipmunk 

 {Eutamias townsendii), snowshoe hare 

 {Lepus hairdii group), black-tailed deer 

 {Odocoileus columbianus) , and elk {Cer- 

 vus canadensis occidentalis) . In the 

 Cascade and Olympic mountains the 

 Douglas squirrel (Sciurus douglasii) 

 is common, while in the mountains of 

 eastern Washington it is replaced by the 

 pine squirrel [Sciurus hudsonicus 

 richardsonii) . — L. R. D. 

 ^ Among the characteristic reptiles 

 and amphibians of the montane forests 

 in the eastern parts of the state are the 

 rubber-snake {Charina botlae), the racer 

 (Coluber constrictor mormon), and 

 especially along streams the garter-snake 

 [Thamnophis ordinoides ordinoides) , the 

 western toad (Bufo boreas boreas) and 

 the western frog (Rana pretiosa). 



It. Subalpine forest (Hudsonian Zone) 



The Hudsonian Zone is characterized 

 by alpine trees tending to become pros- 

 trate at their extreme limits! This is found 

 largely in the Cascades and the Olym- 

 pics, though there is a considerable area 

 of it in the Blue Mountains in the south- 

 eastern corner of the state, and a line 

 of it in the extreme northeastern corner 



in the Kaniksu National Forest. There 

 are also five isolated patches of it on 

 mountain peaks of the northeast- 

 ern portion of the state (Bonaparte, 

 Tonk, Baldy, Calispell, and Chewaiah). 

 The trees found in it are alpine fir, 

 Alaska cedar, Chamaecyparis-nootka- 

 tensis, mountain hemlock, white-bark 

 pine. Among the shrubs of this zone 

 are a juniper (Juniperus communis si- 

 berica), the white rhododendron, a cur- 

 rant, and the western mountain ash. 

 Bear grass is conspicuous and abundant 

 in places. 



5. Alpine meadow (Arctic Zone) 



a. Plarits. This belt is sharply de- 

 fined and is similar in conditions and to 

 a certain extent in species to the arctic 

 meadows of the extreme northern regions 

 of North America, many of the species 

 found in this belt in Washington being 

 common at or near sea level in western 

 and northern Alaska. This belt is 

 confined to the higher portions of the 

 Cascades and the Olympics, and is not 

 continuous, consisting largely of isolated 

 patches. Among the plants charateris- 

 tic of this region are a low bush huckle 

 berry (Vaccinum deliciosum) producing 

 delicious fruit in late summer, a butter- 

 cup (Ranunculus suksdorfii), a marsh 

 marigold, a shooting star (Dodecatheon 

 jejferyi), a pasque flower (Pulsatilla 

 occidentalis) , two lupines (Lupighus sub- 

 alpinus and L. Lyallii), a painted cup 

 (Castilleja oreopola) , a cinquefoil (Poten- 

 tilla flabellifolia), red heather, white 

 heather, a blue gentian (Gentiana caly- 

 cosa), a crimson monkey flower (Minulus 

 lewisii), several arnicas (Arnica spp.), 

 a saxifrage, partridge foot (Lutkea 

 pectinata) and three grasses (Festuca 

 viridula, Poa arctica, and Argosteris 

 rossae). 



b. Animals. Alpine summits. Char- 

 acteristic mammals of the treeless 

 alpine summits of the Cascade Moun- 

 tains are the hoary marmot (Marmota 

 caligata cascadensis), pika (Ochotona 

 princeps brunnescens) , bighorn sheep 

 (Ovis canadensis calif orniana) , and 



