THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



species to be found only in June, and the results in this respect 

 have been very satisfactory, since all the species found are dif- 

 ferent from the ones collected heretofore, and at least four thou- 

 sand specimens were obtained. 



In the course of this and the preceding three trips the follow- 

 ing peaks have been explored by me in quest of beetles: Mt. 

 Greybeard, Rocky Knob and Toe River Gap, in the Blue Ridge, 

 which form the connecting link between the Blue Ridge and the 

 Black Mountains ; Potato Knob, Clingman's Peak, Black, Gibbs, 

 Hallback (or Sugar-loaf), Stepp's Gap, Mitchell and Black 

 Brothers, in the Black Mountains, and Bull Head and Craggy 

 Dome in the Craggy Range. The valleys as far as Balsam Gap 

 and Asheville, as well as other hollows and ravines, have been 

 explored for their beetles. 



The forests of the Black Mountains are characterized by 

 a dense growth of Carolina balsam (Abies frazeri) and black 

 spruce {Picea mariana). In certain places they contain also 

 mountain ash {Pyrus americana), wild redcherry {Prunus penn- 

 sylvanica), hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), mountain maple (Acer 

 spicatum), and Rhododendron catawhiense. The slopes of the 

 mountain are coated with a deep layer of damp moss, and 

 the ground is strewn with fallen timber in various stages of 

 decay. The Black Mountains derive their name from the dark 

 foliage of the evergreens. 



The Blue Ridge, Craggy Range, and lowlands are covered 

 principally with red oak, white oak, chestnut, sweet birch, 

 locust, walnut, buckeye, tulip tree, hickory, laurel and rho- 

 dodendron (R. maximum) . In the valleys are found also large 

 stretches of chinquapin chestnut. The beautiful fiery azalea is 

 also found on the mountain-sides, and when in bloom, together 

 with the purple rhododendron (R. catawbiense) , yields an abun- 

 dance of rare beetles, principally Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, 

 Chrysomelidae, Elateridse, Cistelidas, Lampyridae, and Mordellidas. 

 The chinquapin blossoms also yield a harvest of rare species. 



The white rhododendron (R. maximum) , which, blossoms later 

 than the mountain species, yields very little or nothing in the 

 line of beetles. 



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