22 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[no. 



Wollaston Lake has the further distinction of contributing to 

 the waters of Hudson Bay by way of Cochrane River, which flows 

 through Reindeer Lake into the Churchill. 



Reindeer Lake, though outside the drainage basin of Athabaska 

 Lake, may be briefly alluded to. It is 135 miles in length from 

 north to south, and the northern half averages 30 miles in width. 

 Its shores are rough and rocky and are mainly sparsely wooded. Its 

 northern end lies within a comparatively short distance of the Bar- 

 ren Grounds, and a trading post at that point is the only one in the 

 Athabaska region which is resorted to by the Eskimo. 



The following table, showing the dates of occurrence of certain 

 events during a series of years at Lac du Brochet Post, Reindeer 

 Lake, is condensed from a schedule sent me by R. MacFarlane. It 

 was compiled by Joseph Hourston, for some years manager of this 

 Hudson's Bay Company post, near the north end of Reindeer Lake. 

 Certain items not of general interest have been omitted : 



Dates of seasonal events >it Lac (lit Brochet Pout, Reindeer Lake. 



Year. 



1873. 

 1874_ 

 1875- 

 1876L 

 1877_ 

 1878. 

 1879- 

 1880. 

 1881- 

 1882- 

 1883- 

 1884. 

 1885- 



1SS7 



First 

 thaw 



set in. 



First 

 crow 

 seen. 



Apr. 27 

 May 4 

 May 2 

 Apr. 10 

 Apr. 2 

 Apr. 11 

 Apr. 23 

 Apr. 18 

 Apr. 14 

 Apr. 13 

 Mar. 31 

 Apr. 2 

 Apr. 10 

 Apr. 7 

 Apr. 8 

 Mar. 18 



Apr. 19 

 Apr. 28 

 Apr. 22 

 Apr. 14 

 Apr. 10 

 Apr. 15 

 Apr. 23 

 Apr. 21 

 Apr. 17 

 Apr. 16 

 Apr. 15 

 Apr. 11 

 Apr. 11 

 Apr. 11 

 Apr. 15 

 Apr. 6 



First 

 goose 



May 5 

 May 11 

 May 8 

 Apr. 27 

 Apr. 1!) 

 Apr. 24 

 May 5 

 May 4 

 May 3 

 Apr. 25 

 May 3 

 Apr. 29 

 Apr. 23 

 May 3 

 May 7 

 Apr. 17 



First 

 Barren 

 Ground 

 caribou 

 going 

 north- 

 ward. 



Arrival 

 of Barren 

 Ground 

 caribou 

 from 

 north. 



May 9 

 Apr. 20 



May 17 

 Apr. 21 

 Apr. 27 

 Apr. 24 

 May 12 

 Apr. 22 

 Apr. 20 

 ... _do__. 

 Mav 1 



('") 



(») 



(») 



(») 



(») 

 Apr. io 



(«) 

 Nov. 14 

 Oct. 27 

 Oct. 29 

 Dec. 2S 

 Nov. 12 

 Nov. IS 

 Nov. 20 

 Oct. 24 

 Dec. IS 

 Nov. 



( a ) 



(«) 



(«) 



(<■) 



(a) 



Dec. 21 



First 

 white 

 par- 

 tridge 

 (willow 

 ptarmi- 

 gan) 

 seen. 



Oct. 24 



Oct. 11 



Oct. 17 



Oct. 19 



Oct. 23 



Oct. 19 



Oct. 24 



. do — 



Oct. 10 



Oct. 8 



Oct. 7 



Oct. 10 



Oct. (i 



Oct. 17 



Oct. 19 



Oct. 24 



Oct. 8 



Last nets 

 set in 

 open 



water. 



Oct. 20 

 Nov. 3 

 Oct. 29 

 Oct. 28 

 Oct. ::i 

 Oct. 19 

 Oct. 26 

 Oct. 20 

 Oct. 14 

 Nov. 2 



. do— . 



Oct. 20 

 Oct. 15 

 Oct. 12 

 Oct. 19 

 Oct. 29 

 Oct. 19 



First 



nets set 



under 



ice. 



Oct. 25 

 Nov. 6 

 Nov. 9 

 Oct. 29 

 Nov. 6 

 Oct. 28 

 Oct. 31 

 Oct. 28 

 Oct. 18 

 Nov. 10 

 Nov. 12 

 Oct. 27 

 Oct. 29 

 Nov. 6 

 Oct. 24 

 Nov. 3 

 Oct. 25 



Did not come. 



'' None passed. 



The climate of Athabaska Lake is not radically different from 

 that of other parts of the Mackenzie region which are practically 

 removed from the influence of the warm Pacific winds. Though it 

 lies at a low altitude, the proximity of the lake to the Barren Grounds, 

 from which winds are frequent, keeps its average temperature rather 

 low. An occasional warm west wind slightly tempers the winter 

 climate. The Peace and Athabaska break up at their mouths about 

 the 1st of May, but the neighboring part of the lake usually does 

 not open until about the middle of May, and the eastern part prob- 



