10 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 



[Vol. XXXV. 



leadership of the President, taking the 

 longer and more arduous route up the 

 bluffs via Larsen's trail, both parties to 

 meet again at the summit of Grouse 

 ^Mountain. 



Soon after starting on the trail, no less 

 than three different species of Club-mosses 

 Avere found on the southern slopes at 2,300 

 ft. elevation. Descending to a valley 1,900 

 feet above sea level, the party found a 

 great variety of ferns and flowering plants, 

 the Cliff-brake Fern — often erroneously 

 called Parsley Fern — the Oak Fern, Sword 

 Fern, Deer Fern, or Rock Fern ; the Goats- 

 Beard, Ocean-Spray, several Saxifrages, 

 two species of Pentstemon with beautiful 

 • purple flowers. Dwarf Salal and numer- 

 ous other species which had flowered ear- 

 lier in the season and were now in fruit. 

 The trail zig-zags onward and upward 

 over the ledges known as Eagle Bluffs, 

 and on these ledges sufficient soil has ac- 

 cumulated to support a great variety of 

 trees, shrubs and flowering plants. Wild 

 Roses, Black-Caps, Huckleberries, Blue- 

 berries, and Blackberries were much in 

 evidence, and here one noticed the gradual 

 change from lowland trees to alpine spe- 

 cies; the Western Hemlock and Giant 

 Cedar of lower altitudes gave place to the 

 Mountain Hemlock and Yellow Cedar, 

 wliile the Western White Pine became 

 common, the abundance of shed needles on 

 the trail causing some anxiety to one or 

 two members who had omitted to provide 

 themselves with proper foot-wear. On 

 reaching the plateau the party inspected 

 the area affected b}^ fire, and, satisfied 

 that it was safe to proceed, continued the 

 journey which had Goat Mountain as the 

 objective. Here they were joined by three 

 members who missed the ferry the previous 

 day and who, not knowing the right trail, 

 arrived at the plateau with a limited suj)- 

 j)ly of provisions and utensils and spent 

 the night in the open. 



On the plateau and regions above the 

 forest is chiefly Mountain Hemlock, Yel- 

 low Cedar, and Lovely Fir, the latter being 

 often mistaken and cut for White Fir, 

 which in this part of Canada is really the 

 Grand Fir. The underbru.sh consists lar- 

 gely of White Rbodedendron which was 

 past its best, and the beautiful (hopper- 

 bush, while the ground is carpetted by the 



so-called Heather, a very different plant 

 from any of the Scotch species. 



No time was spent on Grouse summit, 

 the party continuing to the valley between 

 Grouse and Dam Mountains where both 

 parties joined and started the ascent of 

 Dam together. Here on the east slopes 

 were found many additional alpine species, 

 some in flower, others in fruit, the Arnica, 

 Mountain Flea-Bane, Grass of Parnassus, < 

 Mountain Dewberry, Rosy Twisted Stalk, 

 and mountain Mare's Tail were found in 

 flower, while False Hellel)ore, Marsh Mari- 

 gold, the leathery Saxifrage, and other 

 alpine plants were found in fruit. 



In the midst of these flowers the com- 

 pany halted by a streamlet for lunch, and 

 in a short time the "billies" were boiling 

 and tea served to the members, who by 

 this time were ready to forego their higher 

 education in order to satisfy what seemed 

 to be insatiable appetites. This done, all 

 were ready to proceed to the summit of 

 Dam mountain, 4,500 feet above sea level, 

 Avhere a photograph was taken of the party 

 in order to have a record of the largest 

 Natural Histoi\y excursion to this point. 



Thereafter eleven of the members pro- 

 ceeded to Goat Mountain. In former years 

 the intervening ridge proved a profitable 

 region for the botanist, but this year on 

 account of the lightness of the winter's 

 snowfall everything had so dried up that 

 nothing was added to what had already 

 been found. Even on Goat Mountain, 

 Avhere at this time of the year on former 

 occasions large patches of snow Avere found, 

 this year the snoAv had completely gone 

 and the summit was as di-y as the summit 

 of Grouse. This year, however, the com- 

 paratively rare and interesting little Saxi- 

 frage known as Tolmie's Saxifrage was 

 found in flower, whereas in previous years 

 it was seen just emerging near the margin 

 of the snow patches. 



At three fifteen the party retraced their 

 steps to the Plateau and returned by the 

 direct trail to the B.(!.M.C. Cabin where 

 sui)per was served. All were unanimous 

 in the opinion that this excursion had 

 proved the most pleasant and profitable 

 outing held this season, though some had 

 forebodings of aching nniscleN for a day 

 or two after the trip. The party was 



