THE GAME ANIMALS OF CANADA 51 



much less abundant, and, indeed, remarkably scarce in many parts, es- 

 pecially along the Athabaska, Peace, Liard, and other rivers, and the large 

 lakes of the North. As moose have since been found more or less plenti- 

 ful in the eastern, western, and southern sections of the territory where 

 for many years previously they were rather rare or conspicuous by their 

 absence, it is now supposed by some observing natives and others that 

 considerable numbers of them must have migrated southward, partic- 

 ularly during the remarkably mild winter of 1877-78. Be that as it 

 may, it has been noticed that at intervals, and for several years at a 

 time, this animal has been rather scarce in various sections where it had 

 formerly been fairly abundant. 



One of the chief factors that have been responsible for 

 the disappearance or reduction in numbers of moose in many 

 )arts of the Northwest Territories has been the destruc- 

 ^on of their former haunts by extensive forest fires, which, 

 I have repeatedly pointed out, constitute one of the 

 Bhief means of destroying the haunts of big game and fur- 

 )earing animals. 

 A very complete account of the history and distribution 

 I of the moose in the Northwest Territories is given by 

 Preble in his unusually valuable memoir on the mammals 

 of the Athabaska-Mackenzie region.* The following ex- 

 tracts are taken from the account he gives of his own ob- 

 servations and those of other travellers and explorers: 



''The moose occurs throughout the Athabaska and Mac- 

 kenzie region north to the limit of trees." In 1901 it was 

 recorded near Boiler Rapid, Athabaska River. Tracks of 

 moose were seen on Slave River, ten miles below the mouth 

 of the Peace, and on the islands between there and Smith 

 Landing. Tracks were also seen while descending the 

 Athabaska and Slave Rivers to Great Slave Lake. ''In the 

 lake country between Fort Rae and Great Bear Lake . . . 

 the moose was found to be rather common and became more 



* "A Biological Investigation of the Athabaska-Mackenzie Region," North 

 American Fauna, No. 27, Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 1908. 



