362 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



By the way, please observe especially the habits of the lemmings 

 and different Arvicolse. Which ones are gregarious? 



I find among the collections here specimens of the little striped 

 ground squirrel (Tamias 4-vittatus) marked by Ross "Fort Good Hope" 

 I can hardly believe it possible that it is really found there, and am 

 inclined to believe these came from Fort Liard and were mis-labelled 

 like other things by Mr. Ross. Can you tell anything about it? 



So far North as you are you will find quite a different set of fresh 

 water shells from those near Slave Lake, and it is very desirable 

 indeed that you should collect as many as possible. Please try and 

 get the Eskimos to collect sea shells in large numbers get perfect 

 ones if possible. These shells are very easily collected and packed, 

 and are of great interest. Pray when the alcohol comes, go heavily 

 into the fishes of the larger species, get small specimens and skin 

 them, leaving the head entire, and pop 'em into alcohol. Put in the 

 quite small ones "toute ronde," or at least after cutting a hole in the 

 abdomen. 



It would be well to keep dry skins of some of the largest of each 

 species. 



I believe you will find the fish give as rich returns as anything 

 you can collect. By watching the fall fisheries and getting the Indians 

 to bring you the different kinds found in small lakes, you will find far 

 more than you yourself suspect the existence of. Of course any 

 marine fishes you can get will be of prime interest. 



Please don't neglect the marine shells and Crustacea. 



Of your earlier collections the fossils you got were of very great 

 interest indeed. They, with the few that Ross and I got have proved 

 several important facts in geology hitherto unknown. 



Mr. Meek (who is probably the best palaeontologist in America, 

 and who has had referred to him all the knotty points by the Canadian 

 as well as American geologists) has expressed very great interest in 

 the Palaeontology of R. District as exhibited by these collections. 

 There are several new species, but these are of much less interest 

 than the knowledge of the various formations that the specimens 

 sent afford. 



Mr. Meek has written you some suggestions that may be useful 

 to you and you will find him very appreciative of and grateful for 

 anything in his specialty that you can send the Smithsonian. He 



