181 



building its nest in the willow bushes on the margins of the 

 lake, and feeding principally at this season upon tiie berries 

 of Cormis alba and C. canadensis. A species of Caprwmff^us 

 is also common here and throughout all the country from 

 Canada to the Rocky Mountains. It is called Peesqua by 

 the natives, because its note consists of this word, which it 

 repeats almost incessantly during the fine summer evenino-s, 

 when it soars so high as to be almost imperceptible. In 

 windy weather it flies lower, in pursuit of its food, probably 

 insects, and it may then be sometimes taken, though this is 

 always difficult, on account of the irregularity of its move- 

 ments. It makes its nest, which much resembles that of the 

 common lapiving, on the ground, and lays three or four eo-o-s 

 of a dirty brown, marked with darker coloured spots. I 

 often met with it on the plains of the Saskatchawan, in the 

 beginning of July. 



The insects are not numerous : I observed Papilio Atalanta^ 

 P. Urticce, and P. Comma-album, and P. Cardui ; also a 

 species much resembling P. Cardaminis, but the sexes exactly 

 similar, the male insect wanting the orange spot upon the 

 wings ; also another species, pure white, resembling P. Napi, 

 and a large purple one with a white border; a large yellow 

 butterfly of the swallow-tail kind, with black clouds and 

 streaks; and a smaller yellow one, resembling P. Rhamni. 

 In Coleoptera, the genera Bupresfis and Cerambyx are 

 numerous on the picquets of the fort : but many of the most 

 common British genera are almost wanting, such as Cnrcidio, 

 Scarabcetis, and Staphylina. Tlie Mosquitoes are more plen- 

 tiful here than I saw them anywhere else. 



The country round Cumberland House is very flat and 

 marshy. The only rising ground of any considerable eleva- 

 tion visible from it is the Basqua Hill, said to be about 40 or 

 50 miles distant. It was visited by the late Lieutenant 

 Hood during the winter which that Expedition passed at 

 Cumberland House, and from the information which the 

 Indians gave me of the numerous plants that grow there ex- 

 clusively, I regretted very much that it was not in my power 

 to explore it. 



