September, 11>21.] 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 



103 



round grassy lagoons that were one-time 

 sloiiglis. The first and last growths keep 

 to liigli and low land respectively, while 

 the wolf-willow seems to favor slopes and 

 steep places, never in soaked depressions, 

 but Avithal ranging indifferently. As a 

 whole, the Islay prairies assume most in- 

 terest, both from botanical and biological 

 vie^i^oints, in proportion to their depart- 

 ure from monotonous nudity. 



In addition to the country surrounding 

 Islay, wherein the major number of my 

 zoological excursions were confined, that 

 is, in a four mile limit bounded l)y the 

 Twin Hills to the west and Island Lake 

 to the south, I had several opportunities 

 of visiting remoter ground, the most in- 

 teresting of which was to Laurier Lake 

 on September 1, on w'hich I Avish to re- 

 mark. It seems best, by w^ay of present- 

 ing the facts in its connection, to couch it 

 in narrative rather than in disjointed and 

 purely technical form, in which latter much 

 that gives tone to, and conception of, a 

 visited region is necessarily lost. As this 

 locality has never previously been investi- 

 gated by any naturalist so far as I know, 

 it seems more imperative to do a measure 

 of justice to it at once. 



Laurier Lake lies forty miles to the 

 north of Islay, our proposed destination 

 for the trip. The Vermilion and Saskat- 

 cheAvan Rivers must be crossed at a dis- 

 tance of five and thirty miles respecti\'ely. 

 The car, our means of conveyance, AA-as 

 duly equipped tlie previous niglit for the 

 outing, and all made ready for Avhat AVe all 

 anticipated as a great day's sport; nor 

 AA'-ere we disappointed in the smallest i)art. 

 I should perhaps mention that the first 

 Avas the opening day of the sliooting sea- 

 son. The morning daAA''ned in the mo^t 

 dispiriting manner, rain seemed imminent, 

 but to experience the proper thrill Avith 

 the day. and ucav country ahead, it seemed 

 imperatiA-e to start Avith the daAATi. Our 

 judgment proA'ed excellent, for by mid- 

 forenoon the Avhole country Avas radiant 

 Avitli the matchless splendor of an Alberta 

 morning. NcA^er could skies be bluer or 

 air so ra: e. As Ave spun along, occasional 

 s, iar|)-tHilt'(l grouse sprang wildly from 

 the grassy trail with a staccato cue, cue, 

 cue, cue, cue, punctuating as tliey went 

 Iheir soaring and flapping flight. No- 

 thing surely is more typically AA^estern and 

 buovant than these big handsome liirds. 



Just before descending into the Vermilion 

 valley Ave had a glimpse of a Franklin's 

 ground squirrel as it scampered into an 

 aspen bluff beside the trail, the only one 

 of the species I saAv in the Avest. As the 

 forenoon adA^anced the birds got AA^armed 

 into action, and hourly before dinner Avere 

 more in evidence. The near-by shrubbery 

 trembled and flashed occasionally AA'ith 

 passing Avarblers, and sparroAA^s languidly 

 tAvittered half-hearted snatches of song, 

 fall-like and disconsolate. And that sea- 

 son, the fall of the leaf had seemed ac- 

 tually to have arriA'cd, for the first feAV 

 mourners were even now rocking sloAvly 

 to earth. Tlie very air had a hue or qual- 

 ity of autumnal vigor and adventure. 

 Flickers Avatchfully explored the patches 

 of prairie ; robins in social flocks drove 

 swiftly by with a cheep, cheep. Swainson's 

 stately haAvk cleaved the sky in level 

 circles; and the delectable mountain blue- 

 bird, so tender and so elegant, chanced 

 often to cross our path. 



About ten a.m. Ave neared a series of 

 shalloAv and grassy sloughs dotted Avith a 

 fcAv shoveller an(l i-uddy di'cks, and of 

 more than passing interest in the AA^heel- 

 ing and settling flocks of sandpipers that 

 sought its plasliy margins. Three species 

 Avere plainly present, AA'hich after some 

 studied "collecting"' proved to be the 

 lesser yellow, pectoral, and Baird's sand- 

 pipers. The latter Avas one of those choice 

 finds, counted so to me, Avhich comes ncAV 

 and unexpected. Until sending it to Ot- 

 taAva I had mistaken it for the Least 

 sandpiper, Avhich it closely resembles. 



We were noAv in the vicinity of the 

 Ridge, a moraine-like elevation stretching 

 for miles on either hand, and locally of 

 interest because of the Indian graves which 

 are said to dot its sides. Aceordina' to ru- 

 mor, the Avarrior dead Avere buried there 

 after a retreat from the bloody massacre, 

 during the rebellion, AA'hich occurred near 

 the mouth of the Saskatchewan. As this 

 location is some tAA'enty miles from the 

 Ridge, the AA^ounded evidently needed some 

 help, especially the ones who forcA'er Avill 

 remain on the Ridge. I had no time to 

 verify the existence of the graves, but I 

 believe without doubt, remembering the 

 source of my information, that they are 

 there. The AAdiole country should be in- 

 teresting. anthropologicallA', for it seems 



