NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



541 



Fort Belknap Reservation (B3.), 840 

 sq. mi., in Blaine and Phillips counties, 

 between the Milk River and the Little 

 Rockies. See "Isolated Forest." This 

 reservation is in the northern portion, 

 near the Canadian border, and in the 

 prairie and plains country. 



Blackfeet Reservation (B3.), occupy- 

 ing large part of Glacier County and 

 small part of Pondera County. It is 

 just east of Glacier National Park, 

 which was formerly a part of the reser- 

 vation. It covers about 2000 sq. mi. 

 and contains many plant and animal, 

 associational regions, water, swamp, 

 prairie, aspen forest, coniferous forest, 

 glacial areas, mountains, and upland. 

 The western border line runs between 

 Upper and Lower St. Mary lakes, and 

 about three-fourths of the Glacier Park- 

 McDermott Lake road of 55 mi. is in 

 this reservation. See Glacier Park. 



Fort Keogh Military Reserve. (B3.) 

 Extending for 3 mi. from the Yellow- 

 stone river to the bluffs, from the Tongue 

 River at Miles City to the fort buildings. 

 About 3 sq. mi., level prairie, partly 

 in hay, mostly unaffected except for 

 grazing. Patches of old cottonwood 

 trees, a fringe of river vegetation, semi- 

 arid and alkaline sections with cor- 

 responding growth. Typical of the 

 river bottom flora and fauna. 



Miles City |, across Tongue River (w), 

 and 3 mi. south. M. J. E. 



Fort Missoula Military Reservation^. 

 (B3.) Located on the bank of the 

 Bitterroot River. About one sq. mi. 

 of level prairie, with the usual fringe of 

 brush and trees along the river. Vege- 

 tation of the reservation is chiefly 

 spring bulbous and root species, with 

 summer grasses. National reservation, 

 fenced. River almost unpolluted, flows 

 about a thousand second feet at low 

 water. 3200 ft. 



Missoula!, 4 mi. southwest, Missoula 

 Electric. M. J. E. 



*Bighole Battlefield Monument. (B3.) 

 On the headwaters of the Bighole river. 

 This Monument is a few mi. from Wis- 

 dom!, on the western Park to Park 

 highway, and is typical of large conifer- 



ous areas of the eastern or Gulf drainage 

 near the continental divide. 



*Natural Cave. (B2.) Located in the 

 limestone cliffs and hills along the 

 Jefferson river. About 40 acres, with 

 vegetation of limestone cliffs and ra- 

 vines. Cave with remarkable stalag- 

 mites and stalactites, life not studied. 

 Federal preserve. 



Whitehall!, 5 mi. east, north side of 

 river (a). M. J. E. 



*Custer Battlefield Military Reserva- 

 tion. (B3.) Located at the top of the 

 bluffs of the Little Bighorn river, where 

 the battle was fought in 1876. This 

 square mile of military reservation, 

 besides forming the military cemetery 

 for the dead of this battle, retains 

 untouched and unaffected a small por- 

 tion of the characteristic flora of the 

 plains region, as well as a few of the 

 mammals and invertebrates. Rolling 

 prairie, 500 ft. above the Little Bighorn 

 valley, continuous with the great tree- 

 less plains extending into Wyoming. 



Crow Agency!, 2 mi. S.E. (a) or (w). 

 M. J. E. 



*Willow Creek Bird Reservation. (B3. ) 

 Near Augusta!, Montana. About one 

 sq. mi., level, grassy, marshy, for 

 protection of shore and marsh birds. 

 M. J. E. 



*Pishkun Bird Reservation. (B3.) 

 About half way between Augusta! 

 and Choteau!, and 5 or 6 mi. west of the 

 main road. A few sq. mi. of marshy 

 land on the level border of the Sun 

 river, and on the opposite (north) side 

 of the river from the Willow Creek 

 bird preserve. M. J. E. 



*Bird Islands. (B3.) In Flathead 

 Lake. About 10 acres, comprising two 

 small islands, forming the Flathead 

 Lake Bird Reserve. Mountain forma- 

 tion and vegetation, rock shore and 

 ledges with coarse gravel beach. 

 Twenty to 30 species of song birds nest 

 on the island; wild geese formerly 

 nested in large numbers ; sandpipers, and 

 golden-eye now present. Scattering 

 western yellow pine, Douglas fir, and 

 cedar comprise the scant forest. Main 

 land half mile away, 20 acre island close 



