380 Grinnell, Summer Birds oj Mount Pinos, Cal. |~Q Uk 



nent camp at about 6500 feet altitude in Seymour Creek Canon 

 above the sawmill. This was our base camp while in the region, 

 and from here we were within one to three hours tramp of all 

 parts of the main mountain. 



Owing to the excessive aridity of the region, perhaps accounted 

 for by the ocean air-currents being cut off by intervening mountain 

 ranges, the vegetation of the plateau region immediately surround- 

 ing Mount Pinos has a decidedly Great Basin aspect. The hills 

 and lower mountain ridges up to about 6000 feet are abundantly 

 clothed with pihon trees {Pinus monophylla) which seldom reach 

 a height greater than 35 feet, and average over most of the region 

 not more than 20 feet. The valleys are covered with sage 

 {Artemisia tridentata and Chrysothamnus mo/iavensis) which lends 

 a vivid similarity to the real desert. From 6000 feet up, the 

 mountain itself is clothed with a generous growth of timber trees. 

 For an interval up to 7000 feet on south slopes there is consider- 

 able brush consisting of a scrubby form of golden oak {Quercus 

 chryso/epis), a manzanita {Arctostaphylos patula), and Rhamnus 

 tomentella. This gives way at about 6000 feet on north slopes 

 and 7000 feet on south slopes to open park-like forest, composed 

 largely of the Jeffrey pine {Pinus Jeffrey 7). A good many yellow 

 pines {Pinus ponderosa) occur on the lower slopes, often extending 

 along water courses far down into the pinon belt ; also many trees 

 which seem to be variously intermediate in characters between 

 jeffreyi and ponderosa. In Seymour Canon are a few sugar pines 

 {Pinus lambertiana). And at the summit of the main ridge are 

 several wind-beaten pines identified from cones and staminate 

 flowers by Miss Eastwood as the fox-tail pine {Pinus > aristatd). 

 A few of the same species in more symmetrical growth occur on 

 the north side down among the firs. The steep north slope, from 

 the summit down about 2000 feet, is quite heavily timbered with 

 California white fir {Abies concolor loiviana). The upper slopes 

 on the south and east, which are gentle, are not heavily timbered, 

 the groups of Jeffrey pines being interspersed with openings, either 

 bare or brushy. In places above 8000 feet there are extensive 

 low thickets of Symphoricarpus canescens Eastwood, and, especially 

 in moist spots, masses of gooseberry {Ribes cereum and R. lacustre, 

 the latter more particularly on the shaded north side near springs). 



