hese little skunks have become so numerous in the area of
headquarters that they were a nuisance, and were captured in garbage
cans and released in other parts of the Park.

Mephitis mephitis estor Merriam Striped Skunk

D. Watson advises me that striped skunks are fairly common around the
entrance to the Park, along the foot of the Mesa, and along the Mancos
River. Striped skunks have been reported in 1951 in Morfield Canyon, in
1952 on the Knife Edge, in 1953 at Windy Point (1/4 mi. N of Point
Lookout), and in 1959 at the head of Morfield Canyon.

[Illustration: PLATE 1

UPPER: View of the North Rim of Mesa Verde, looking west from Park
Point, the highest place on the North Rim. The south-facing slope on the
left is covered with brushy vegetation, mostly oak. Sheltered parts of
the north-facing slope support stands of Douglas fir, and at a few
places some ponderosa pines. Photo taken in August, 1956, by S.
Anderson.

LOWER LEFT: View of Rock Canyon from Wetherill Mesa, looking southwest
from a point 2 mi. NNW Rock Springs. The area in the foreground on
Wetherill Mesa was burned in 1934. Photo taken in August, 1956, by S.
Anderson.

LOWER RIGHT: Prater Canyon, at Upper Well, 7575 feet. In the matted
grasses and sedges on the floor of the canyon _Microtus montanus_ and
_Sorex vagrans_ were captured. _Tamiasciurus hudsonicus_ was found in a
side canyon, Chickaree Draw, one half mile southwest of the place shown.
Chickaree Draw is more sheltered than the slope in the background and
has a denser stand of Douglas fir than occurs here. Photo taken in
August, 1956, by S. Anderson.]

[Illustration: PLATE 2

UPPER: Relatively undisturbed stand of pinyon pine and Utah juniper 1/4
mi. N Rock Springs, at 7400 feet elevation on Wetherill Mesa along a
service road. The vegetation shown is characteristic of the lower more
exposed parts of the top of the Mesa Verde. Photo taken in August, 1956,
by S. Anderson.

LOWER: Wetherill Mesa, 1/2 mi. NNW Rock Springs, 7500 feet elevation.
This area burned in 1934. It contained no pine or juniper in 1956
despite attempted reforestation in the thirties and the presence of a
stand of pinyon and juniper (shown above) only one quarter of a mile
away. Possibly fire in the last three or four hundred years on the
higher parts of the Mesa has been a factor in producing chaparral there,
rather than pinyon and juniper. Photo taken in August, 1956, by S.
Anderson.]

Taxidea taxus berland