NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



291 



50 mi. from the height of land. The 

 Clay Belt covers an area of nearly 

 25,000 sq. mi. one half the size of the 

 State of New York. 



A recent survey of approximately 

 three million acres in the Clay Belt in 

 those portions of the Abitibi-Mattagarni 

 drainage basins lying north of the 

 National Transcontinental Railway in- 

 dicates that approximately 60 per cent 

 of the land area is covered with a black 

 spruce forest about equally divided 

 between muskegs and poorly drained 

 upland soils. The remaining 40 per 

 cent is again approximately equally 

 distributed between the mixed associa- 

 tions and burned areas. Since the 

 latter are on the best drained areas, it 

 may be assumed that they originally 

 were of the mixed association character. 

 Another point of evidence in this direc- 

 tion is that the older burns show conifer- 

 ous reproduction beneath the poplar 

 stands. The mixed associations are 

 composed of white spruce, balsam fir, 

 black spruce, balsam poplar, aspen and 

 paper birch. Usually the conifers form 

 over half the stand. 



The National Transcontinental Rail- 

 way passes through the central portion 

 of the Clay Belt throughout its entire 

 length, traveling east from Winnipeg, it 

 is first encountered near Paska station, 

 about 475 mi. east of that city. 



Little is known about the forest con- 

 ditions in the northwestern portion of 

 the Province in districts not traversed 

 by railways. It seems evident, how- 

 ever, that the proportion of jack pine 

 increases as one goes westward, and, 

 also, that the mixed associations are of 

 more frequent occurrence. 



It may be said in this connection that 

 as our knowledge of northern Ontario 

 increases, some revision will be necessary 

 in the conception of the pure coniferous 

 forest as the climax type. The forest 

 of this character is apparently found 

 only in the swamps and on the poorly 

 drained areas, and such areas do not 

 dominate the topography until the 

 James Bay coastal plain is reached. 



6. Animals (J. R. D.). This conifer- 



ous forest of the north is the home of 

 the moose. North and west of Lake 

 Huron and Lake Superior the moose is 

 still common but south of the French 

 River it is rare except in sanctuaries 

 and even these is much less common than 

 farther, north. The woodland caribou 

 which until comparatively recently 

 wintered as far south as the north shore 

 of Lake Superior has now largely aban- 

 doned this area except in the extreme 

 north. The white-tailed deer has been 

 steadily extending his range until to- 

 day he is found far beyond the National 

 Transcontinental Railway. His centre 

 of abundance, however, is much farther 

 south. In this part of Ontario we still 

 have the black bear (Ursus americanus), 

 timber wolf (Cam's lycaon), Canada 

 lynx (Lynx canadensis), fisher (Maries 

 pennanti), marten (Martes americana), 

 porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), beaver 

 (Castor canadensis), otter (Lutra cana- 

 densis), snowshoe hare (Lepus america- 

 nus), muskrat (Ondatra zibethica), mink 

 weasel (Mustela vison group), woodchuck 

 (Marmota monax canadensis}, red squir- 

 rel (Sciurus hudsonicus), eastern chip- 

 munk (Tamias striatus lysteri), and in 

 the western part of the area the west- 

 ern chipmunk (Eutamias minimus 

 group). The larger animals of this 

 list are naturally commoner in the more 

 inaccessible and more thinly settled 

 districts of the north. The wolverine 

 (Gulo luscus) was never abundant even 

 in northern Ontario and is now to be 

 found only in the extreme north. 

 Among the characteristic birds of this 

 area may be mentioned the white- 

 throated sparrow, olive backed thrush, 

 northern pileated woodpecker, spruce 

 grouse, and Canada jay. 



III. NATURAL AREAS 



*Point Pelee. (O4.) Federal Bird 

 Sanctuary, in which duck shooting 

 only, is allowed for a short season. 

 Size, about 7 by 4 mi. The basal 2 by 4 

 mi. drained and cropped. Remainder 

 mostly marsh near the base, a narrow 

 strip of sand at each side for 3 mi. 



