March 24) ALLEN — THE BARREN-GROUND CARIBOU 107 
in the summer time, but in winter stay much longer — sometimes 
two months....From the George River post they hunt west for 
the caribou, which are more often found in the vicinity of Whale 
River post than at either George River or Fort Chimo to the west. 
For the five years preceding my visit [1905] the caribou had crossed 
regularly in November at Whale River....That the caribou of 
Labrador have greatly decreased in numbers seems certain. Mr. 
Peter M’Kenzie, Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 
the east,....told me that many years ago while in charge of Fort 
Chimo he had seen the caribou passing steadily for three days... . 
not in thousands, but hundreds of thousands. The depletion of 
the great herds of former days is attributed to the unreasoning 
slaughter of the animals at the time of migration by Indians in the 
interior and Eskimo of the coast....The fires also which have 
swept the country, destroying the moss on which they feed, have 
had their share in the work of destruction.” The wolves “hunt 
the caribou in packs, cutting out a single deer, and following him 
till his strength is gone, when they jump on him and pull him down.” 
It seems fitting that Mr. Cabot’s name should be associated with 
this handsome caribou, which but few other white men have ever 
followed into the inner stretches of Labrador. I would also express 
my obligation to him for the use of many photographs, and to 
Mr. Charles W. Johnson, Curator of the Boston Society of Natural 
History, for permission to study the caribou in its collection. 
