N0.14C0. 3fA][nrALS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES— MACFARLANE. 691 



Peaci^ Rivci', and many also roamed to the northwest as far as the 

 Liard River. Even as hite as l8G-i a straggler was killed within 40 

 miles of the company's post of that name and another in 1806 about 25 

 miles from the same. Sir J. Richardson states that there were some 

 bison in the Horn Mountain, southeast of Fort Simpson, in the begin- 

 ning of the last century (1800), while some were also met with on the 

 east side of the Athalmsca, ])elow and above Fort McMurray. Dur- 

 ing a residence of fifteen years (1870 to 1885) at Fort Chipewyan, 

 Lake Athabasca, our native fort hunters never failed in winter to kill 

 one or more ])ison for the use of the establishment, the meat of which 

 was hauled thereto by the compan3'''s dogs and servants. Near!}' all of 

 them were shot on the north side of the lower Peace River, At that 

 time, the Indians of Forts McMurray and Smith always secured a num- 

 ber in autumn and winter. Having seen the skins of numerous prai- 

 rie buffalo many years ago, and those of several of the woodland 

 variety, I think the only marked difierence I noticed was that the 

 outer hair of the latter is darker in color, and th(^ inner is of a finer, 

 thicker, and probably warmer texture than that of the former, while 

 it is doubtful if the average "dressed heef " of either animal of the 

 same age would materially difter in weight. In the winter of 1871-72, 

 an Indian shot an albino example of the l)ison some 35 miles northwest 

 of Fort McMurraj . This skin was throughout of a faint yellowish 

 white color. 1 have been repeatedly assured 1)}^ Indians that the 

 female very rarely has more than one calf at a birth. They have 

 also said that, in winters of deep snow, wolves succeed in destroying 

 some animals. They themselves have too often been guilty of unnec- 

 essar}^ slaughter of bison under similar conditions, especially in for- 

 mer years. In the month of March, 187H, a small band of Chipewyan 

 Indians discovered traces of a herd, consisting of twenty animals of 

 various ages, near the Birch Mountain, and the snow being deep they 

 did not sutler even one to escape. None of the flesh, however, was 

 wasted; all of it was consumed ])y the party. The company never 

 exported any Woodland bison skins for sale in London or Canada. Mr. 

 P. Deschambeault remembers seeing in the early fifties of the last cen- 

 tury two fine albino examples of the i)rairie buffalo in possession of 

 Chief Factors John Rowand and -latnes (1. Stewart, both of which had 

 been secured on the plains of the upper Saskatchewan River. 



CARNIVORA 



CANADA LYNX. 

 Lynx ennaden,'ii>< Kerr. 



This is one of the principal periodic fur-bearing animals which 

 regularly increase and decrease in num])ers about every decade. The 

 experience of observers, largel}^ corroborated by the company's London 



