* 
REPORT OF TIE ORNITITOLOGIST AND MAMMALOGIST. 453 
lar, box-elder, elm, and bur-oak. Among the brush is an abundance of June-berry 
bushes, choke-cherries, wild red cherries, and high-bush cranberries, the last four 
now loaded with ripe fruit. The bur-oaks are full of acorns, down to bushes tour 
feet high. 
There are said to be many lakes farther back in the hills than I have been. A 
small creek comes down through a deep ravine in the mountains, and flows near 
the town in a southwest direction across the prairie. Along its banks are thicls 
brush and a few trees. The prairie is quite level, and covered w.th short, fine 
grass. There are no sloughs or lakes near here. 
Crops are good, and consist principally of wheat and cats. 
Fort Buford, Buford County, Dak. 
The fort is situated near the left bank of the Missouri River, opposite the mouth of 
the Yellowstone. It is ona level prairie—the second river flat—which is about a 
mile wide and 4 or 5 long, running parallel to the river, and averaging about 20 
feet above the bank. Extending most of the way between this and t.e river is 
another flat, on a level with and forming the river bank, which is about 15 feet 
above low water. This lower flat is covered with a dense growth of brush and 
trees. The principal trees are cotton- wood, box-elder, and black ash: the brush is 
largely willow, some thorn, rose, choke-cherry, and a thorny busiv called bull bush 
or bull-berry bush, which is now loaded with fruit—a small red he ry of pleasant 
taste.* This fiat varies from a half mile in width to less, and the orusla is so thick 
and large as to be almost impenetrable, except as roads are cut through it. 
From the farther side of the prairie (back from the river) steep, high hills rise to 
a height of probably 1,000 feet above the river. Deep ravines, with steep or perpen- 
dicular sides and full of brush (largely choke-cherry and bull-berry), cut through 
these hills and through the prairie, running down to the xiver. In the bottom of 
each ravine is generally a small brook which goes dry between rains. 
The hills are mostly covered with a very scattering growth of fine grass and 
small weeds, but in places are bare clay or soft sandstone, without vegetation and 
in curious shapes from the wearing away of the softer parts, leaving them with 
steep or projecting sides. 
In the valleys between the hills (not the ravines) and on the prairie there is a 
good grass for pasturage, some sage brush, various weeds, and cacti, some of which 
are of interest as forming food for birds and mammals—particularly a wild sun- 
flower (Helianthis rigidus). 
The first frost was recorded September 15. 
Tilyow’s Ranch, Dawson County, Mont. 
Tilyou’s Ranch is situated on the Yellowstone River, 26 miles from Fort Buford, 
Dak. The river valiey is about 5 miles wide, generally level. It is inclosed by 
high hills, scantily covered with vegetation; on the east side the hills are very steep, 
rough, and bare. Good grass grows along the creeks and on low places; -elsewhere 
vegetation is stunted and scarce. The river flats are covered with willow and bull- 
berry brush and cottonwood timber. The general features and animal life are 
much the same as at Fort Buford. 
During my stay of thirteen days the weather has been clear, dry, and pleasant, 
with cool nights and warm days. 
DESCRIPTION OF TIIE BAD LANDS OF DAKOTA AND MONTANA, OBSERVED FROM FORT 
BUFORD TO MILES CITY. 
This region has the appearance of having been a great plain, slightly rolling, and 
deposited to a depth of at least 1,000 feet in quite regular layers, from 4 to 50 fect 
thick, principally of soft, gray sandstone (sometimes rusted or colored), and a pecu- 
liar gritless, hard, but when wet sticky and slippery, clay called *t gumbo.” 
The change from a level, sloping plain to the curiously-formed and most intensely 
uneven surface now presented is the result of erosion. The rivers have cut through 
the soft sandstone and clay, until at present they are from 600 to 1,000 fcet below 
the original level of the plain. This gives the branches and small side streams a 
steep descent to the main rivers, and they have cut down deep gorges through the 
sandstone and ‘‘ gumbo,” which are of sufficient solidity to retain, in this very dry 
climate, very steep or quite perpendicular sides, on which little or nothing grows. 
————— Li Seana 
* This proves to be the Buffalo berry (Shepherdia argent id). 
