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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



by. Main lake, to 50 ft. depth, all 

 around. Lake fauna same as given for 

 Shore Plain at Biological Station and 

 other places. Lake, 2900 ft.; highest 

 island point 50 ft. above lake. State 

 preserve, shooting prohibited. 



Polson|, 9 mi. northeast by boat. 

 M. J. E. 



^Montana National Bison Range. 

 (B2.) In western Montana, along the 

 Northern Pacific railroad between Ra- 

 valli and Dixon. Nearly 20,000 acres, 

 including several mi. of Post creek, 

 about one mi. of the Jocko river, with 

 a mountain in the center about 2500 ft. 

 above the river, or 5000 ft. above sea 

 level; open prairie and mountain sides, 

 and thinly timbered areas, with rock 

 slides and cliffs, ravines, wind swept 

 and exposed ridges, and with disap- 

 pearing small streams heading in springs. 

 Forests of western , yellow pine and 

 Douglas fir, scant undergrowth of 

 shrubbery. Fully described in Senate 

 Report No. 467 and Report American 

 Bison Society, 1908. Range established 

 by Congress in May, 1908. Fenced 

 as a preserve. The 37 bison placed in 

 the range have increased to 460 in 1923, 

 with 325 elk, several hundred deer, 14 

 Rocky mountain goats, and several 

 species of game birds. Mesophytic to 

 xerophytic conditions. Jocko river 

 flows about 600 sec. ft., contains several 

 species of fish, and is unpolluted. Post 

 creek heads in the Mission mountains 

 20 mi. distant and is little polluted. 

 The mountains and valleys are greatly 

 modified by glacial action. There are 

 alkaline areas. 



RavalliJ, mi. N. (w) or (h) ; Dixonf, 

 one mi. E. (w) or (h). M. J. E. 



*Lake Shore Plain Forest. (B2.) This 

 comprises part of the ground of the 

 University of Montana Biological Sta- 

 tion on the east shore of Flathead Lake. 

 About 90 acres with 1 mi. of lake shore; 

 glacial and lake gravel floor, with forest 

 of yellow pine, Douglas fir, Engelmann 

 spruce, western tamarack (larch), low- 

 land fir (Abies grandis], birch, alder, and 

 occasional cottonwood and western 

 white pine, with characteristic under- 



growth and forest floor litter; shows 

 succession of forest, young trees to those 

 some 400 years old. A shore prominence 

 rises 150 ft., with young growth. No 

 cuttings, except around Station build- 

 ings, have yet been made. Some an- 

 nuals and perennials, little or no grass. 

 A small swift creek, with hard water, 

 flows through one corner. A large 

 spring flows from an old creek bed. 

 Typical mesophytic forest; general as- 

 pect, of large areas of lake bordered 

 forest. The fauna includes the pine 

 squirrel, chipmunk, weasel, flying squir- 

 rel, mountain woodrat, bats, mice, 

 with incursions from the adjacent forest 

 of bear, deer, coyote, and others; many 

 song birds, the pheasant and blue grouse, 

 Richardson's grouse, and many species 

 of tree loving birds. The lake here 

 forms Yellow Bay, to depth of 150 ft. 

 West of the area the main lake goes down 

 quickly to 290 ft. Lake fauna includes 

 the native and introduced fishes, per- 

 manent and migrating water birds, and 

 interesting plankton. Beach 50 to 100 

 ft. wide, sandy to gravelly and rocky. 

 Lake rising 9 to 17 ft. during spring 

 high water. 



Lake level 2900 ft. Lake little pol- 

 luted. State preserve, shooting pro- 

 hibited. Polsonf, 16 mi. northeast by 

 boat, or 21 mi. by automobile; Somerst, 

 20 mi. by boat, or 24 mi. (a) southwest. 

 M. J. E. 



*0pen Island Forest. (B2.) On Idle- 

 wilde Island in Flathead Lake. 34 

 acres, belonging to the University of 

 Montana Biological Station. The open 

 woods consist of western yellow pine, 

 Douglas (red) fir, cedar and cotton- 

 wood; mesophytic forest, general aspect 

 of large areas of western mountain 

 woods. Shore rocky and coarse gravel. 

 Lake deep to shallow, little polluted. 

 Nearly level, a few feet above lake. 

 State preserve, shooting prohibited. 



Polsonf, 6 mi. north by boat. M. J. E. 



Open Yellow Pine Forest and Prairie. 

 (B2.) On Wild Horse Island in Flathead 

 Lake. 36 acres on the lake shore, facing 

 north; typical open forest of young to 

 mature trees, with shore border of cedar 



