280 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



snipe, nest here, but they are early birds to leave. "We 

 saw but one golden plover, a few sandpipers, and one 

 Wilson snipe. 



By the time we took our departure, in the early days 

 of October, the geese, the mallards, the teal, and the 

 mergansers had disappeared, and a few loons and dip- 

 pers were all that were left. 



The mighty Frazer Eiver, in British Columbia, which 

 is soon to be the line of least resistance for a new trans- 

 continental railroad, is an important pathway in both 

 the northern and southern migration of millions upon 

 millions of wild fowl, and any one who has not seen the 

 hosts of birds which come down from the far north in 

 September and October may in but a few years have an 

 object lesson that they will long remember if they 

 should take a journey along the great river during the 

 fall flight. 



The Yukon and the Columbia Rivers are, likewise, 

 trunk lines for the hosts of wild ducks and wild geese, 

 while along the smaller watercourses may be found 

 millions more of bay-birds, curlew, snipes and plover 

 following the same instinct which tells them that in the 

 far-off southland is food a-plenty, freedom from ice and 

 snow and a sanctuary where their young can thrive 

 and .grow fat upon the choicest of food, and where 

 they can live in peace and quietude. 



We must not forget the grouse, for there are plenty 

 of willow grouse ; our old friend, the ruffled grouse, or 



