188 Letter's, Extracts, Notices, (Sfc. 



Summer Migrants at Fort Simpson. — Mr. R. G. McConnell, 

 in his Report on his expedition of 1887-88 in the Mac- 

 kenzie and Yukon districts of the North-west of Canada^ 

 gives the following notes on the arrivals of summer migrants 

 at Fort Simpson, at the junction of the Liard and Mac- 

 kenzie rivers (62° N. lat.) : — 



" The warm weather which commenced on the 1st of May 

 continued throughout the month, and under its influence 

 the snow quickly disappeared, and the spring advanced with 

 astonishing rapidity. On the 20tli of April, the first day 

 the temperature rose above freeziiig-point for nearly six 

 months, the Barking Crow (Corvus americanus) made its 

 appearance. The Raven {Corvus coraoe) had remained 

 throughout the winter. On the 1st of May some Canada 

 Geese [Brant a canadetisis) were seen at the edge of an open 

 place in the river, accompanied by a flock of Mergansers and 

 other Ducks. The 4th brought the Robin (Turdus migra- 

 torius) and some Sparrows, and on the 5th the Wavies 

 (^Anser hyperboreus) , which usually lag a few days in the 

 rear of the Canada Geese, commenced to wing their way 

 northwards, and in a couple of days were passing in such 

 numbers that flocks were rarely out of sight. The first 

 Goose was shot at the fort on the 5th, the successful marks- 

 man receiving, according to immemorial custom at the 

 Hudson's Bay establishments, a present of a pound each of 

 the two luxuries of the country, tea and tobacco. By the 

 10th the ground was bare in many places, and such late 

 birds as the Swallow and Plover had arrived." 



Obituary. — August von Pelzeln ; Thomas W. Blakiston; 

 F. W. Meves. 



August, Edler von Pelzeln^, was born at Prague, on 

 the 10th of March, 1825, the son of Joseph von Pelzeln and 

 his wife, who was a daughter of the famous writer, Caroline 

 Pichler. Soon after the birth of August, the family moved 

 to Vienna, where the father died. 



* Mostly translated from a notice in * Die Schwalbe,' xv. p. 237 

 (Nov. 1st, 1801). 



