NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



187 



tions of reestablishing themselves in 

 their old haunts, but the open trapping 

 season of 1923 and 1924 has reduced 

 their numbers to such an extent that 

 their extermination seems imminent. 



The introduction of the ring-necked 

 pheasant and bob-white (quail) has 

 replaced the other game birds which 

 have become too scarce to any longer be 

 considered game. 



The west slope of the Cascades. This 

 great area lies entirely within the moist 

 coniferous forest. It is composed 

 largely of magnificent stands of Douglas 

 fir. At higher altitudes are found areas 

 of lodge pole pine, noble fir and Engle- 

 mann spruce. Interspersed among these 

 trees are beautiful mountain meadows 

 filled with a luxuriant growth of flower- 

 ing plants. The highest sections of the 

 timbered areas are marked by the pres- 

 ence of the mountain hemlock and white- 

 bark pine, above which the bare moun- 

 tain peaks rise. 



About the numerous rock tumbles 

 could be heard the cry of the little cony, 

 or pika (Ochotona), and within these 

 tumbles the western bushy-tailed wood- 

 rat, mountain beaver, Apoldontia rufa, 

 and the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota 

 ftaviventris) whistled from his mound. 

 The black bear extended throughout 

 the area while the grizzly remained in 

 the south. 



The Cascade flying-squirrel (Sciu- 

 ropterus alpinus fuliginosus) and the 

 Cascade tree squirrel (Sciurus douglasii 

 cascadensis] were typical of the west 

 slope, while the silver gray squirrel was 

 present in the lower elevations. 



Both the Washington snowshoe hare 

 (Lepus w. washingtonii) in the north and 

 the Oregon snowshoe hare (Lepus w. 

 klamathensis} in the south were pursued 

 by the timber wolf, the coyote, and the 

 Cascade fox (Vulpes cascadensis) . The 

 bobcat and the Canada lynx (Lynx 

 canadensis) reluctantly shared their 

 hunting area with the marten, fisher 

 (Mustela pennanti) and the wolverine 

 (Gulo luscus] . The cougar ranged freely 

 from the side of the divide to the other 

 in pursuit of the deer. Below, the otter 



and mink shared the stream with the 

 beaver; the former probably the first to 

 enjoy the excellent fishing of the Cascade 

 streams. The porcupine, more at home 

 on the eastern slope, nevertheless fre- 

 quented the western slope as well, and 

 in the south the basserisk or ringtail cat 

 (Bassariscus astutus oregonus) made his 

 home. The pacific elk crossed the 

 valley and entered the valleys of the 

 west slope of the Cascades. 



The mountain chicadee, red-breasted 

 nuthatch, mountain blue-bird and Ore- 

 gon jay are found breeding at an eleva- 

 tion of 3700 to 6000 ft. From this eleva- 

 tion to timber line is the breeding area 

 of Clarke nutcracker, the arctic three- 

 toed woodpecker and the alpine three- 

 toed woodpecker. 



Above timber line the Hepburn rosy 

 finch has been observed, feeding its 

 young at an elevation of 9000 to 10,000 ft. 



The eastern slope of the Cascade Moun- 

 tains. The eastern slope of the Cascades 

 lies within the semi-desert coniferous 

 forest. The predominant tree of this 

 area is the western yellow pine which 

 extends throughout the entire length 

 of this slope of the Cascades and follows 

 the higher cliffs o the rivers well into 

 the floor of the plateau below. 



Many of the western forms were pres- 

 ent on this eastern slope but of very 

 great interest is the rather marked 

 tendency of the black-tailed deer to 

 remain on the western slope and of the 

 mule deer to remain on the eastern slope 

 of the Cascades. 



Among those animals present upon 

 both sides of the divide are the bobcat, 

 Canada lynx, coyote, wolf, porcupine, 

 pika, gray fox, mink, beaver, wolverine, 

 fisher, marten, otter, basserisk, and 

 snowshoe hare. 



The porcupine was exceptionally 

 abundant within the yellow pine forests 

 of the eastern slope, and the limit of 

 the badger's (Taxidea taxus neglecta) 

 western distribution is here reached. 

 In the north occurred the Cascade 

 skunk (Mephitis occidentalis notata). 

 The two jackrabbits of eastern Oregon, 

 the western white-tailed and the Wash- 



