farther east, up the river. Plate VII is from the same 

 point as Plate VI, but with a wide-angle lens. It shows 

 the Jocko Valley. Ravalli is almost on the edge of the 

 picture, on the right, in the centre, where a depression 

 separates the hills on the right from those on the left. 

 This depression is the eastern boundary of the range. The 

 Mission Mountains are visible in the hazy distance. 



Standing on the same spot from which the pictures in 

 Plates V, VI and VII were taken, and looking down the 

 river, northwestward, the southwestern corner of the 

 range may be seen. This view shows the Jocko Valley to 

 its junction with the Flathead River, which comes in from 

 the right (north), in the distance. The Flathead or Pend 

 d'Oreille Valley and river extend in the distance to the 

 left. The line of the bison range is along the slope above 

 the Jocko River, and the fence should cross the river into 

 the valley, within the limits of the picture. 



The only good view of the northern side of the range 

 is shown in Plate II. Indeed, this picture, taken from 

 an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet in the Mission Moun- 

 tains, gives a bird's-eye view of the entire range except on 

 the south. It is thus seen to be an open range of low hills, 

 almost bare of timber on the visible slopes. The range is 

 distant from the point of view about ten or twelve miles. 



CHARACTER OF THE SOIL. 



Along Mission Creek and on the long slope bordering 

 the Flathead River, there is considerable alkali. In such 

 places the ground is quite bare of vegetation. On the 

 steeper slopes the grazing is scanty. In the ravines, on 

 the protected slopes, and in the wide heads of gulches, the 

 vegetation is luxuriant. Last June the grass was waist 

 high in the moist ravines, and knee high on the slopes. 

 On the south, in the timber, there is considerable slide- 

 rock, but this is a minor item. The broader slopes and 

 wider ravines have rich, pebbly loam. The summits and 

 ridges are outcrops of rock, with scanty vegetation. 



THE VEGETATION. 



In the spring the range is almost a fairyland of flowers. 

 These continue until late in July. The broad-leaved Bal- 



29 



