Fergus County argus., 1903-09-02

can successful work in collecting be
done. Head-nets are generally worn
by the ranchers and Nsuodsmen. but
as 1t is almost impossible TO see TO
shoot with a net, my collecting was
limited TO trips along the rocky ridges
Oh the iauits in the vicinity OF the sta
non. representatives nf the birds of
the neighborhood were taken for spec
linens, among which was Grinnells 8
water thrush, a species not found be-
tore In our observations in the Flat
head region. Two instances of rare
nesting were also noted. one being a
nest OF Townsend's Warbler, the other
nest OF the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.
the latter OF which was photographed
ana VIII appear In a bulletin of Fer.
gus county birds to be issued soon by
the high school management.
The later events in which we had a
part have been detailed in letters 10
the various newspapers. and It will
be tedious to review them. An enjoy
able experience was the ascent OF
MacDougal peak over the well known
Aeneas trail and pass, made famous
by the conflict between the Blackfeet
and flathead Indians. A minor trip
made later in search of hemlock will
give the reader a fair idea OF our
mountain experience. With a light
camp outfit in spring wagon four
OF us set out one afternoon. August
20, for the forest TO the northward
in the Swan range. The wagon car
ried us 10 the end of the road, where
We generally camped at the foot of
MacDougal peak. With a pack horse
/ to carry such burden as we might ac-
cumulate, we started on a trail the
next morning which had been blaz-
ed by forest ranger when he had
gone in that neighborhood to fight a
fire the preceding fall. Scarcely had
We entered the forest when my eye
caught sight OF two fool hens stand
ing on fallen log eating service ber-
Ties from the low bushes. In bagging
them, for specimens, We found two
others which shared the fate of their
fellows. Farther in the woods a
brood of pheasants gave us further
sport. A tramp OF about three miles.
steadily upward on the mountain
side. took US 10 a foaming brook, be-
side whose bank grew the hemlock
We desired. They were grand trees.
two feet or more in diameter, tall and
symmetrical, sending up their grace
full branches for hundred feet. Sec
tons ten inches in thickness were
made, after laborious chopping and
saving. Then our troubles began, for
our pack saddle having been taken in,
TO the mountains by another part of
our force, we were unable to pack the
sections to stay on the horses back
A section OF green wood such as We
made will weigh fifty 10 seventy lbs
Unable to get out our sections that
day We made our way back to camp
The next morning We returned with
two horses, but in spite of all our in.
genuity we could not pack our load
At length we resorted to natural meth.
ods, by tying the sections on our back
and toting them into camp.
The collecting OF specimens is a
comparatively easy task, but the pre-
servation of the material involves
! much time and tedious labor. II is
. one thing 10 shoot bird for a spec
; linen, ii is another thing to preserve
, il. 1t is no great labor 10 saw a sec.
tion of tree. but to get it into camp
, without bruising it is a much more
p difficult matter. One can go out and
. collect twenty butterflies in as many
! minutes, but TO spread and care fol
them may require many hours.
Readers of this article will under
( stand that in a summers collecting
! for scientific purposes both pleasure
ana hardship are involved, but, as the
: old saying goes, there is no good with
out labor.