263 



A Trip Among the Rangeley Lakes. 



The Rangeley Lakes are famous as a favorite resort for the 

 fisherman and hunter, but to the botanist they are not, perhaps, 

 so well known. It was the writer's good fortune during the past 

 summer to spend several weeks collecting in the wilderness 

 which surrounds the lakes. There are five of the principal ones, 

 very irregular in shape, and extending in a general northeast and 

 southwest direction. Their outlet is through the Androscoggin 

 River. All around are mountains, and the whole country is 

 densely wooded. Except the little space along a brook where 

 our camp was pitched there was not a natural clearing to be seen 

 for miles in any direction. During the winter the woods swarm 

 with lumbermen, and we frequently happened upon their de- 

 serted cabins. The forests are composed chiefly of spruce, hem- 

 lock and pines, mixed with maples, birches and beeches. Yellow, 

 black and white birches are found, the white being the canoe or 

 paper birch. Along the border of the lakes is a fringe of the 

 white birches, which in many places have been killed by the rise 



in the water, consequent on the building of the dams between the 

 lakes. 



I 



One of the first plants to catch the eye of a stranger is the 

 Cornus Canadensis. At the time of^our visit it was in fruit, and 

 Its red berries lent color to the roadside everywhere in great pro- 



fusion. Under the evergreens on the rocks were quantities of 

 the white stars of Dalibarda repens, most abundant of all the 

 Rosaceae. Most of the common plants of the North were there, 

 among them great beds of Linncea horealis, and the long trail- 

 ing stems of Chiogenes Jiispidula, its waxen berries hidden among 

 the leaves. 



Of course the Ericace^ were well represented. Beside the 

 one already mentioned there were Moncscs nnifora, two or three 

 Pyrolas, Gatiltheria procumbcns and the other familiar ones. 



Kalmia 



It is 



lower, and its small flowers are far more brilliant than K. latifo- 

 lia, which takes its place in southern New^ England. 



About three miles from our camp, which by the way was on 



Lake M 



set in among the nioun- 



