i886.] RiVES on Birds of Salt Pond Mountaiti, Virginia. ^59 



waterfall about seventy feet in height. Singularly enough, fish 

 do not thrive in the lake itself. 



At this lofty elevation the air is cool and bracing, and the 

 numerous pleasant walks over the mountain crests offer many 

 attractions. The condition of the vegetation showed a marked 

 contrast with that of the lower country, which was in a much 

 more advanced state, and the oaks still retained the silvery gray 

 appearance which they present before the leaves are fully de- 

 veloped. The mountain is for the most part thickly wooded 

 with various kinds of trees, but wherever there is a clearing the 

 grass grows readily. The buckeye and the sugar maple — here 

 n known as the sugar tree — flourish, and in many of the ravines 

 and sheltered spots are brakes of rhododendrons and dark 5nd 

 lofty hemlock spruces. 



Among the plants observed were fine specimens of Trillizctn 

 grandiflorum^ with large rose-colored petals, the deep purple 

 Trillium erectutn — a characteristic northern species — Cypripe- 

 diicm acaulc^ Cypripedimn pubescens^ Cypripedium parvi- 

 Jlorum^ Ariscevia triphylliun^ Pedictdaris cafzadensis^ Gera- 

 nium maculatum., Sedian turnatum^ and Houstonia ccertilea. 

 The lily of the valley i^Convallaria niajalis) was in flower and 

 moderately abundant, the laurel {Kalmia lati folia) was common, 

 and in many places the woods were resplendent with the gor- 

 geous blossoms of the beautiful flame-colored a7.i\\ea{Azalea calen- 

 dulacea). In the neighborhood of the lake and in the moist and 

 shady woods the cinnamon fern {Ostnunda cinnamomes) grew 

 in abundance, while in many places the ground was covered with 

 a dense growth of Clayton's fern {Ostminda claytoniatia') . 

 Among other ferns met with were Aspidium acrostichoides., 

 Pteris aquilitza, and Adianttim pedatiim. 



The bird life did not appear to be very abundant. The Robin, 

 however, was tolerably plentiful, and I noticed a nest doubtless 

 constructed by this species, but which I did not examine. The 

 Common Yellowbird {Spimis tristis) was seen in open ground 

 near the lake, and in the woods the notes of the Oven-bird 

 Seiiirus azirocapillus) were frequently to be heard. The thick 

 growth of oak and other bushes on the summit of Bald Knob 

 afforded excellent shelter for ground birds, but appeared to be 

 monopolized chiefly by the Towhee Bunting ( Pipilo erythroph- 

 thalmtcs)^ whose notes were heard more frequently than the birds 



