NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



345 



White Sulphur Springs, or Dry Fork 

 Village, C. &. O. R. R., at north end of 

 mountain. — C. L. Brooks. 



Ice Mountain. Ice Mountain on the 

 North Fork of Cacapon River, IlaTnp- 

 shire County, is an area of about 100 

 acres, extending from the east bank of 

 the river to the top of the mountain. 

 Here the mountain slope is covered with 

 a loose talus of sandstone boulders, 

 within which an inunense quantity of 

 ice is formed each winter. Over a small 

 portion of this tract, at the foot of the 

 mountain, ice persists throughout the 

 summer, affecting the vegetation. 

 While the elevation is only 1000 ft. the 

 plants are such as are found in other 

 parts only at altitudes of 4000 ft. or 

 over, e.g., twin flower (Linnaea borealis), 

 dwarf cornel (Cornus canadensis) and 

 oak fern {Phegopteris dryopteris). The 

 line of demarkation between the plants of 

 adjacent territory and those of the ice 

 area is distinctly visible, making a 

 study easy. 



The forest is composed chiefly of red 

 cedar, hemlock, oak, birch, chestnut, 

 and maple. In the forest are red and 

 gray fox, raccoon, opossum, red and 

 gray squirrels, chipmunk. Virginia deer 

 and black bear. The bird life is charac- 

 terized by the wild turkey, ruffed 

 grouse, turkey vulture, and a large num- 

 ber of song birds. 1000 ft. ; level. 



Ciimherland, Md. 14 mi. east, B. & O. 

 R. R. to Green Spring, 40 mi. south, 

 branch line to Moorefield, W. Va. 30 

 mi. northeast (a) ; or Winchester, Va. 30 

 mi. west fa) improved and dirt roads to 

 Capon Bridge, W. Va.; 10 mi. west (a) 

 and (w). — A. B. Brooks. 



Cranbemj Glades. (Available.) The 

 southwestern portion of Pocahontas 

 County is a high mountainous region 

 originally covered with mountain conif- 

 erous forests and deciduous forests 

 where game of many kinds was plentiful. 

 A large portion of this tract has now 

 been greatly changed by fire and lumber- 

 ing. These forest areas are of great 

 importance for stabilization of stream 

 flow. 



Near the head of the Cranberry River, 

 on the southwestern border of the ter- 

 ritory mentioned, are the Cranl)crry 

 Glades. This swampy area consists of 

 one glade containing from 300 to 400 

 acres. This tract and its environs are 

 teeming with a variety of plant and 

 animal life. Among the former are 

 ground hemlock {Taxus canadensis), 

 northern rattlesnake plantain {Epipachs 

 rcpens var. ophioides), rose pogonia 

 (Pogonia ophioglossoides), horned blad- 

 derwort {Ulricalaria cornuta), sphagum 



moss (Sphagnum girgensnhnii) and cran- 

 berry {Vacciniinn macrocarpon and V. 

 o.rycoccos) . Such animals as the masked 

 shrew (Sorex personalus), the smoky 

 shrew (,Sorcx fumerus), the red-backed 

 mouse iEvolomys gapjicri), and the 

 yellow-checked meadow mouse (Microtns 

 chrolorrhinus) are found in and about the 

 glade. In the forest are \'irRinia deer, 

 black bear b(il)-cat (Lynx rufu.'i), red 

 and grav fox. raccoon, grav squirrel, and 

 redsciuirrcl. Tliebird life during nesting 

 time is marvelous. Such species as the 

 alder flycatcher, olive sided flycatcher, 

 swamp sparrow are among tho.se that 

 nest in the trees and shrul)s and the 

 grasses and sedges of this glade, while 

 the cairn's warl)ler, mourning warl)lcr, 

 mountain solitary vireo, olive backed 

 thrush, and other species have their 

 habitat in the surrounding forest. 

 Glade 3100 ft. Level with surrounding 

 mountains arising from 1000 to 1500 ft. 

 above it. 



Grafton, 59 mi. southeast, B. &. O. 

 and W. M. R. R. to Elkins, 95 mi. south, 

 W. M. and C. & O. R. R. to Seebert,; 

 or Ronceverte, 40 mi. northeast, C. & 

 O. R. R. to Seebert, W. Va., 14 mi. west 

 to the Glades** — 9 miles (a) or wagon, 

 remaining 5 mi. (h) or (w). — A. B. 

 Brooks. 



Cranesville Szvaynp. (Available.) 

 This is an area of about 500 acres 

 near Cranesville, Preston County, on 

 the West Virginia-Maryland border. 

 Plants and animals that belong to the 

 • northern flora and fauna are fotuid here, 

 and the place is frequentlj' visited by 

 naturalists. 



Originally this tract was covered \a ith 

 mountain coniferous forest consisting 

 of red spruce, white pine, hemlock, and 

 tamarack. At present these trees are 

 to be found only here and there. The 

 deciduous forest growth contains such 

 trees as chestnut, mountain ash {Pj/ru.'< 

 aniericana). oak, hard maple, and aspen. 

 In and about the swamp are found 

 gold thread (Coplis tri folia), dwarf 

 cornel {Cornus candcnsis), purple 

 fringed orchis tllabcnaria fimbriala), 

 and two species of Cranberry (Vacciniiini 

 macrocarpon and T'. ox1JCOccos^. Among 

 the animals are the snowshoe hare, 

 cottontail rabbit, gray sfiuirrel, red 

 squirrel, raccoon, and red and grav fox. 

 The northern water thrush, veory, Cana- 

 dian warbler, Nashville warbler, and 

 great blue heron are among the birds 

 found in this locality. 2500 ft.; level. 



Terra Alta, 10 mi. north (a) over dirt 

 road to Cranesville, i mi. southeast. — 

 ir. E. Rum-^cy. 



French Creek. A tract of about 1000 



