96 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



before, and doubt has been cast on my having found it 

 at the spot indicated. There is the skin, however ; and 

 the fact cannot be disproved, though both American and 

 English naturalists have seemed to be inclined to be 

 sceptical about it. These were not, however, naturalists 

 of repute. It seems to be local hereabout, although Achil 

 says he has seen and heard it hundreds of miles to the 

 eastward. I heard it for the last time on the 27th of 

 September ; and as it was not seen after that date I pre- 

 sume that it had migrated south. 



The bird called by the trappers the whisky-jack, first 

 seen near Lake Temiscaming, was numerous here. It is 

 undoubtedly a shrike; but the American naturalist to 

 whom I sent the skin, with others, never acknowledged 

 their receipt : I therefore cannot give it specific identifi- 

 cation. For this reason several small birds of this region 

 must remain unnoticed ; while others will be described 

 presently. 



The wild fruits about here were similar to those of 

 Canada proper ; that is, cranberries, raspberries, and black- 

 berries. But for the first time I met with the wild plum. 

 Those about here were of the " blue " or purple kind ; but 

 there is also a " white " sort. They were not ripe on our 

 first arrival ; and I cannot praise their flavour when at 

 the best ; but Canadians and Yankees alike think a great 

 deal of them for making jams. The people of these 

 countries preserve any sort of wild fruit ; and are never 

 tired of praising them, so that one would think this the 

 first country in the world for wild fruits if he depended 

 only on what he heard. Few parts of the northern half 

 of the continent, however, are better provided with this 

 class of productions than England. Americans have the 

 sweet-tooth highly developed, and resemble children in 

 their fondness for sweets. 



On the very first day of my search in the woods for 

 game I met with an exciting adventure, and one that 

 raised me greatly in the esteem of my Indian friends. 



