MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 295 



After spending several days about Finzel, mainly engaged in trap- 

 ping mammals; having obtained a fair knowledge of the mammalian 

 fauna, it seemed desirable to ascertain the conditions in other por- 

 tions of the county. The turnpike road was traversed westward from 

 Frostburg across Great Savage, Meadow and Negro mountains to 

 Keyser Ridge, and thence, leaving the turnpike, the country was 

 examined southward to Accident, across Negro Mountain to Bittinger, 

 thence by a circuitous route to Grantsville, and back to Frostburg. 

 Several large tracts of coniferous woods were located and gave promise 

 of interesting results if visited later in the season. 



Beginning June 17th, 5 days were spent in studying and collect- 

 ing the birds about Finzel, among which were several species not be- 

 fore recorded as breeding within the state. On June 22, the point of 

 study was shifted westward to Grantsville in Garrett county, a small 

 town situated on a ridge overlooking the valley of the Castleman, 

 about two miles south of the Pennsylvania line, and a point of de- 

 parture was located at a farmhouse about two miles east of town from 

 which the valley of the Castleman and the ridges to the eastward 

 could be easily worked. Most of the country is covered with a rather 

 heavy growth of deciduous trees, oaks and chestnuts predominating. 

 A good-sized tract of hemlock stands near the turnpike three miles 

 east of Grantsville and a considerable quantity also remains on the 

 western slopes of the ridges near the Castleman, where red-berried 

 elder and rhododendron abound. At this point the valley of the 

 Castleman lies at an altitude of about 2100 feet, while the ridges 

 in the vicinity rise four or five hundred feet higher. 



White pine was formerly found in this region in great abundance, 

 but has now almost entirely disappeared. The axe of the lumber- 

 man has latterly been directed to the hemlock and spruce, which in 

 turn are fast disappearing. 



On June 27 the field of observation was transferred to Bittinger, 

 a postofiice about nine miles south of Grantsville on the plateau be- 

 tween the north and south branches of the Castleman. Its altitude 

 is about 2600 feet. Considerable tracts of hemlock and spruce occur 

 in the vicinity, and in their shade were found Taxus minor, Dirca 



