SOUTHERN SHORES OF LAKE SUPERIOR 333 



and the Indians receive an annual gratuity of blankets, 

 ammunition, flour, &c., and their welfare, and protection 

 generally, are supposed to be looked after, but I have 

 reason to believe that a great deal of peculation is com- 

 mitted by the officials in charge of the agency. That 

 offence, however, is one common to every department of 

 the American Government. 



This is about all of interest that I have to relate 

 of the southern shore of Lake Superior. A few words 

 descriptive of the north shore I give in another chapter, 

 as this has been spun out to an unusual length. On the 

 whole the coastline of the lake more resembles the 

 shore of a sea than that of a body of fresh water, and, 

 indeed, the Americans frequently speak of the Great 

 Lakes as inland seas. 



I have deferred to the end of this chapter the few 

 remarks I wish to make concerning the natural history 

 of the south coast, as it is more convenient to say, once 

 for all, that every bird mentioned in an early chapter, 

 when I made my first journey on these lakes, was found 

 here, and also many of the ducks, geese, grouse, &c., 

 spoken of as being common in the Red River (or 

 Manitoba) region. Small birds there were none seen 

 until the early spring, when the first of the migrants 

 began to return to their summer haunts, but I left 

 Marquette too soon to permit me to pay much attention 

 to them. I observed nothing to call for notice, those 

 few species I saw being the same as those found in other 

 parts of the lake district. The pine grosbeak and the 

 Lapland bunting (see Index) being among the earliest 

 arrivals, the first being seen March 28, the latter 

 April 4. 



Among water birds on the lake there was a grebe not 

 seen on the north side. I did not get this bird satis- 

 factorily identified ; but it appeared to be the horned 

 grebe of the Americans, Colymbus auritus. I was shown 

 some egg-shells which were said to be those of this bird. 



