122 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BIOLOGICAL 



STATION. 



BY MAURICE RICKER. 



Noticeable among recent movements tending to promote 

 the interests of biological science is the development of the 

 inland biological station. Any arrangement whereby stu- 

 dents and teachers may work under proper guidance out 

 of doors, in nature's own laboratory, should be encouraged. 

 Our own state made a beginning last summer at Lake 

 Okoboji. I sincerely hope it may become permanent and 

 that many teachers in Iowa will avail themselves of the 

 opportunity to combine a pleasurable outing with profit- 

 able field and laboratory work in Natural Science. 



Indiana, at Winona lake, and Illinois at Havana, have 

 opened permanent stations and drawn many earnest stu- 

 dents. To be entirely successful the location must be such 

 as to provide a variety of plant and animal life, but hardly 

 less important is it that the place chosen have many of 

 the attractions of a summer resort. It must furnish rea- 

 sonable accommodations, be easy of access, and be favored 

 with pleasant and healthy summer weather. All these 

 requirements can hardly be fully met. 



It is my purpose to give a brief description of the Mon- 

 tana Biological Station because it seems to me to be, in 

 every way, the ideal. 



The Flathead lake, in Northwestern Montana, is the 

 largest body of fresh water west of the great lakes. It lies 

 between the Mission and Cabinet ranges of the llocky 

 mountains. Its elevation is 2,800 feet. It is nearly thirty- 

 five miles long and from eight to fifteen wide. It is 

 drained by the Peud d' Oreille river which has rapidly cut 



