124 BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 



clear of brush, a famous fishing resort. Mud creek rises in the canons 

 near the southern arm of the lake, flows south of west, receives the waters 

 from Ronan Springs, passes the edge of the sand dune, and enters Crow 

 creek a couple of miles from the dune. It is not a large creek, but irri- 

 gates several farms. A fair sized stream reaches Crow creek. From the 

 sand dune to the lake is 15 miles. The land is level, and no streams cross 

 it. 



ORNITHOLOGY OF MISSION VALLEY. 



The country between Crow creek and Post creek is full of pot holes, 

 of varying sizes and depths, containing water all summer. Hundreds 

 of these small ponds may be seen from elevation on the 

 mountains, the larger ones lying near the mountains. These 

 pot holes abound in entomiostracan and insect life, prolific in quan- 

 tity rather than species. Thousands of frogs line the banks all summer, 

 and garter snakes, feeding on the frogs, are numerous, large and fat. 

 In the grass and reed bordered ponds water fowls breed and rear their 

 young. In the fall large numbers of migrant water birds stop at these 

 ponds, making an ideal field for the hunter and sportsman. In July the 

 most abundant water fowl found with young was the American Golden- 

 Eye, Glaucionetta clangula, var. Americana, taken at several places. A 

 camp of several days was made at Crow creek in July, 1900. Threev 

 years previously a camp of several days was made near the same place. 

 In the creek three species of case worms were found. A quart of 

 bivalve shells, Margaritana margaritifera were taken in the sandy shoals. 

 Several other species of shells were found, Planorbis trivolvis, Limnaea 

 palustris, a Physa, Polygyra townsendiana, var. Ptycophora, Pyramidula 

 solitaria, and P. strigosa, var. Cooperi. Dragonflies were not numer- 

 ous. Aeschna contsricta was seen everywhere. Sympetrum obtrusa 

 was abundant; indeed, it is the most common dragonfly in western 

 Montana, and is easily captured. Around one of the ponds near the 

 creek Sympetrum (Diplax) madida was common. They were wary, shy, 

 and hard to catch. Two hours of hard work resulted in only about two 

 dozen. Lestes unquiculata was the most abundant. Hundreds could 

 easily have been captured had they been wanted. A few Amphiagrion 

 saucium and Ischnura were taken, making a total list of Odonata cap- 

 tured on the plain. In the stagnant water many Ostracoda were se- 

 cured. Butterflies were not abundant. One catch of nearly a hundred 

 Brenthids was very satisfactory. These were nearly always taken on a 

 blue aster. Colias eurytheme, brilliant orange, were found in the grassy 

 flats. Pieris protodice was not uncommon. A Grapta was occasionallj'^ 

 seen. Among the shrubbery Satyrus alope, var. olympus was often seen. A 

 single male Argynnis leto was captured. Several Argynnis aphrodite 

 were among the captured. A single Lycaena, a few skippers, a Thecia 

 and a Chrysophanus, made the remainder of the list. Except along the 

 creek and around the ponds there is no collecting. 



Birds in the valley are interesting, and around the water are abund- 

 ant. The list of the ornithologist shows 43 species. Many of these are 

 quite abundant. The few days spent here were fully occupied by the 

 ornithologists, and over 60 skins was the result of their earnest work. 



