PREFACE V 



invertebrates. Several hundred starfishes were boiled and 

 dried, thus preserving their form and color. The most abun- 

 dant species, Asterias s/>., was noticeably larger than the A. vul- 

 garis of the Atlantic Coast. The sea urchin, Echinarachnius 

 excentricus, was a common species in shore, fifteen hundred 

 being obtained in a few minutes dredging. 



A full series of the alcoholic material collected has since 

 been presented to the University. 



We were surprised to find so few water birds in that locality, 

 the pigeon guillemot, Cepphus columba Pall., was the only 

 species which was at all common. When we attempted to 

 collect land birds we more fully realized the great height of 

 the forest trees, in whose towering tops they flitted safely 

 about, quite beyond the reach of small shot. 



We left Washington, late in July, for the second station, 

 which we were to occupy in the mountains of Central British 

 Columbia. When we crossed the international boundary at 

 Huntington, the person acting as collector of customs for the 

 Dominion insisted on the payment of duty on our effects with 

 the assurance that it would be refunded when we recrossed 

 the line. Let me here extend a warning to any too-confiding 

 naturalist who may meet that over-zealous functionary — if you 

 wait until you reach the boundary again you will never recover 

 your money. Some premonition of this fact induced Professor 

 Smith to request in person at the Winnipeg office that the 

 money be refunded, and even then the money was only 

 returned after months of persistent correspondence. 



We take pleasure in acknowledging our obligation to Mr. 

 A. Campbell Reddie, Deputy Provincial Secretary of British 

 Columbia, for the license granted us to hunt animals pro- 

 tected by the provincial game laws. 



We had intended to descend the Big Bend of the Columbia, 

 but this plan was abandoned when we found that there was no 

 suitable boat at Donald. We then engaged an old hunter and 



