on 



tinted with lichen, but they present a barren ap- 

 pearance. In places above the altitude of eleven 

 thousand feet the mountains are covered with a 

 profuse array of alpine vegetation. This is espe- 

 cially true of the wet meadows or soil-covered sec- 

 tions that are continually watered by melting 

 snows. 



In the neighborhood of a snowdrift, at an alti- 

 tude of twelve thousand feet, I one day gathered 

 in a small area one hundred and forty-two varie- 

 ties of plants. Areas of "eternal snows," though 

 numerous, are small, and with few exceptions, 

 above twelve thousand feet. Here and there above 

 timber-line are many small areas of moorland, 

 which, both in appearance and in vegetation, 

 seem to belong in the tundras of Siberia. 



While these mountains carry nearly one hun- 

 dred varieties of trees and shrubs, the more abun- 

 dant kinds of trees number less than a score. 

 These are scattered over the mountains between 

 the altitudes of six thousand and twelve thousand 

 feet, while, charming and enlivening the entire 

 mountain-section, are more than a thousand varie- 

 ties of wild flowers. 



236 



