The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-10

IL L.,
net after the plans of Kofold, and a
pump after the plans of Ward, COM
pleted the material for study of inver
tebrate fresh water life. For study
in other lines, insect nests. cyanide
bottles, botanical pressers and papers,
guns and ammunition were provided.
At the stations material in the line
of microscopes, glassware, chemicals
and other necessary materials, was
taken temporarily from the university
laboratory for the purpose. The IA
cilities were thus of the best as far
as material equipment is concerned.
The laboratory fixtures are adapted
only to outdoor work but answer very
well. 1t is but fair to say that the
laboratory was talked - IT'S fullest
capacity.
The number of people taking advan.
tage of the opportunity offered for col
lecting and for study at the station,
including those having charge was
seventeen, and many more visiting for
longer or shorter periods of time, but
who took no part in the work. There
were representatives from Butte, Hell
ena, Deer Lodge. Kalispell, Missoula,
Lewistown and other smaller places.
The immediate results may not be
SO noticeable, but the final results
will certainly be considerable. Dur
ing the summer some, 500 skins have
been secured and are now in the mus
cum at the university. These include
the specimens from the eastern part
of the state, taken BIZ Charles f..
Hedges of Miles City. The skins in
the collection at the university now
number nearly thousand. ana otfc,
the best opportunity that has thus far
been presented anywhere for study
on the birds of the state. Principal
P. NJ. Silloway, who had charge Of
the pathological work during the
summer, spent the entire summer in
work on birds, and is now busy pre-.
pairing his report. When this report
is augmented by the notes accu,nu.
lated on birds from other parts of the
state it is expected to make a report
on the birds of Montana that will be
better than anything heretofore pre-.
sented. While making the collection
of skins a good series Of stomachs
was secured, which will offer oppor.
tunities for study in economical orni-
thology.
The collection made on fresh water
invertebrates was planned by Prof. M.
j. Elrod, and was conducted by him
and Prof. l.. A. YOutz, the latter taE-
ing the laborious task of identifying
the material and preparing the report.
This has taken his entire time for the
summer, he having begun early IN
June, couple of weeks before the
expedition started.
The plan of work was as follow:
L ne pump was made to take an Ordin-
ary garden hose, through which water
could be taken from a known dept 4.
One hundred and thirty-five feet Of
hose was carried and by adding on
sections water could be taken from
any known depth, and the life secured
could be said to have certainly come
from a given depth. The pump threH "
about a quart of water at a stroke.
This was run through a net, with
meshes of the smallest size made Of
silk boiling cloth, ITO to the inch,
which retained the small organisms,
when they were bottled. Ordinarily 80
strokes of the pump made pumping,
the residue of the so strokes being
placed in bottle. This usually took
from Is to 20 minutes of pumping,
not counting the time necessary to get
out and make connections of hose.
During the summer 120 Walls We're
filled with the small organisms from
the lakes before mentioned. The study
of these is necessarily slow, since
the microscope must be used con-
stantly, and the non-scientific read
ers can form an idea of the task. This
material is stored in dozen or SO
cigar boxes, and no one looking at the
boxes would suppose they contained
so much work The report is being
prepared. 1t is necessary to antici,
pate what it may contain, but it is
sufficient to say that it will be so..i.,,
what voluminous and will present in
formation absolutely new to this re-
gion. Prof Youtz spends the coming
year at Columbia and will continue
the study of entomostracan life that
may be secured.