110 BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 
McDONALD LAKE IN THE MISSION RANGE. 
The road to McDonald lake from St. Ignatius Mission is good. The 
distance ig about 11 miles. Most of the distance is across the level 
valley, the last two miles being a very stiff up grade, causing a hard pull 
when there is a load. 
Camping.sites at the lake are scarce, owing to the nature of the lake. 
There is but one portion of the lake, the western end, free from cliffs 
or rocks. Most of this is densely wooded with timber and heavy under- 
brush. By fording the cutlet, possible in summer when the water is low, 
a camping site sufficient for the party was found, on the bank of the lake, 
in plain view of the peak, free from underbrush, and above all, in a place 
where the cool breeze from the mountains after sundown drove away the 
mosquitoes, which are much of an annoyance in the region in early 
summer. The camping site was a delightful place, and a stay of ten days 
in 1900 was made in order to make collections, and search for living 
species of the shell Pyramidula elrodi Pils., as well as to study the ento- 
mostraca of the lake. A camp of a week in June, 1901, was made for the 
same general purposes. Plate XXIX gives a good view of the lake from 
the outlet. 
McDonald lake of the Mission mountains lies at the foot of McDonald 
peak on the northwest. Like Sinyaleamin lake, it is hemmed in on all 
sides except the west by mountains, save that they are much higher, 
more picturesque, and steeper. The lake was named McDonald back in 
the sixties, and according to priority the name should easily displace that 
given to Terry lake, also called McDonald, which lies northeast of Kalis- 
pell. 
The valley enclosed by the peaks, in which the lake now is, has been 
carved out by a glacier, or more properly by glaciers, as there were un- 
doubtedly several uniting to form the main glacier which flowed down the 
valley. Remnants of these glaciers are yet seen on the mountains, there 
being three on McDonald peak, one in plain sight from almost any point 
on the lake. The rocks along the lake have been ground smooth, and 
show plainly the marks of the ice. At the outlet of the canyon a large 
moraine has been made, though not so advantageously situated for dam- 
ming the water as at Sinyaleamin lake. But the water has in 
time past evidently been much deeper that it now is. The rock on the 
north is fast disintegrating, and is filling up the lake with red mud and 
ooze. At the upper end is a wooded valley which formerly must have 
peen a part of the lake. The filling in has drained this part of the lake, 
the remainder of the lake not yet being filled up. The present lake is 
therefore but a part of what it was formerly. 
The lake is smaller than Sinyaleamin lake and not nearly so deep. 
It is a mile to a mile and a quarter long, the average width being less 
than a quarter of a mile. On either side the mountains come abruptly 
to the water, as may be seen in the illustration given, Plate XXIX. As 
has been stated, there is a valley at the upper end, so far unexplored, 
and densely wooded with arbor-vitae, several species of fir, white and 
red birch, and other smaller shrubs. The inlet divides above the lake, 
one branch receiving water from the glacier visible, the other bringing 
