ARRIVAL OF SUMMER BIRDS. 107 



garb, and were winging their way to the valley of 

 the Mackenzie, where the season is earlier. 



Geese, according to Mr. Bell's information, arrive 

 at Peel River Fort, upwards of two degrees farther 

 north, from the 12th to the 15th of May, rarely 

 varying above a day or two, the 15th being the 

 date of their coming in backward seasons. At that 

 time they find the marshy places bare of snow, 

 and can procure the roots of bents and other plants 

 on which they feed. There, as elsewhere, the 

 Canada geese precede the snow geese a day or 

 two. The Hutchin's geese* come later, and pass 

 high overhead towards the north. The Indians 

 believe that a small finch (Plectrophanes lappoJiica) 

 avails itself of the strength of wing of the Hutchin's 

 goose, and nestles among its feathers during its 

 flight. When a goose is shot, they often see the 

 small bird flying from it. Neither Mr. Rae nor I 

 noticed such an occurrence, nor did I obtain a 

 confirmation of it from the personal observation of 

 any of the gentlemen resident in the country, but 

 it is generally affirmed by the Indians. 



While we were at Fort Franklin, Mr. Bell, who 

 was employed all clay in shooting geese, pointed 

 out to me a fact in the natural history of the 

 snow and laughing geese. Though they migrated 



* These are commonly called " Eskimo geese" in Rupert's 

 Land. 



