5-2 PROCEEDINGS MANCHESTER INSTITUTE 



ing the summer or on migrations. Thus Goldfinches and Pine 

 Siskins are often seen flying over, and small hawks, Red-breast- 

 ed Nuthatches and Robins sometimes alight in passing. On one 

 occasion, in mid-July, I even observed on tv^^o consecutive days, 

 a Savanna Sparrow { Amino dramus sandwichensis savanna) 

 singing from a stone among the sedges, only a short distance 

 from the summit buildings. The bird seemed perfectly at home 

 here, and was probably breeding. 



Of mammals, several species occur on these arctic summits, 

 but these are chiefly Canadian forms. The Varying Hares 

 {Lepns ainericanns virginiamts) seem even to visit the tip-top 

 buildings on Mt. Washington, and Mr. Thaddeus lyowe, of 

 Randolph, tells me of seeing their tracks in the snow about 

 these structures in the late spring. Striped Squirrels {Tamias 

 striatns lysteri), Red-backed Mice {^Evotomys gapperi ochtacejis) 

 and even an occasional Canada Porcupine {^Erithizon dorsatnni) 

 or Woodchuck {Aictoinys monax) have been known to wander 

 up from below, and the last is sometimes seen in Tuckerman's 

 Ravine, at over 4,000 feet on Mt. Washington. The lyittle 

 Brown Weasels {Pntorins cicognani) and Sables {Miistela 

 americana) are great travelers and go all over these high lev- 

 els, even traversing the ranges from one forest to another, as I 

 am informed by Mr. V. D. lyOwe. 



For characteristic arctic animals of this region, we must look 

 to the insects, of which a number of high northern species are 

 known to occur. The most conspicuous of these, at its season, 

 is doubtless the Barren-ground ^Vi\X.^x?i.Y {Chioiiobas semidea) , 

 which is very closely confined to this treeless alpine area. Its 

 caterpillar feeds on the Caj'ex rigida bigelovii which grows 

 abundantly at these heights. 



Of typical arctic plants may be mentioned in addition to two 

 or three carices and dwarf willows, the Diapcnsia lappomca, al- 

 pine azalea (^Loiselenria procnnibens) ^ Rhododendron lapponicnm, 

 Cassiope Jiypnoides, all blossoming in June ; also the handsome 

 Peck's Geum {Geicm radiatum peckii) , found plentifully in July, 

 and the Greenland Sandwort {Areitaria gj'oonlandica) . A num- 

 ber of other flowering plants occur on these summits, of which 



