OCT., 1899.] 



CAXYONS. 



21 



iiarias, sileiies aud ligusticuiiis, yellow monkey flowers, violets and 

 hieracinms, blue veronicas and asters, cream-colored feathery lutkeas 

 aud parnassias, pink epilobiiims, red alpine laurels, and scarlet painted 

 cups.' True grasses are scarce, but grass-like carices abound. 



The mammals inhabiting the heather meadows are the rare alpine 

 phenaeomys ( rhcn(«'0)in/s oroph ilus], the white-footed mouse ( Peronij/scKs 

 (/ainbi'Ji)^ the long-tail mountain vole {Mirrofiis morda.r), and the Sierra 

 pocket gopher {TIkhhohii/s nunificoJiO. The gophers throw up their 

 characteristic mounds about the edges of the heather beds but are 

 commoner on the a<l.iaceiit pumice slopes. 





Fio y.— (ilacial inradow at licad of Squaw Cieek. 



CANYONS. 



All the cauyons of Shasta radiate from the ice-covered summit and 

 take remarkably straight courses down the steep sides of the moun- 

 tain. Most of them are profound gorges cut by swift-flowing glacial 



' The plants of the glacial basius in the timberliue region vary somewhat with the 

 moLstiire of the soil. The commonest sjiecies in moist spots and along the Ijorders 

 of the streamlets are: Arnica merriami, Castilleja miniata, EpUohimn vlavatum, Iliera- 

 cinm (iracile, Hypericum anagalloides, Mimulus implexus (growing in the water), Mimu- 

 his priniHloides, Mitella peidandra, Parnassia caJifornica, Veronica ciisicki. The com- 

 monest species in the drier parts of the heather heds are : Anteiniaria media, Castilleja 

 miniata, Hieracium (jracile, Kalmiu (jlauca microphijUa, Liitkea pecttnata, Ligusticum 

 grayi, Phiillodoce empetriformis, Sibbaldia procmnhens, Silene (jraiji, Taccinium caspi- 

 iosmn, f'iola purpurea. 



