76 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. [no. 27. 



Peel. On the lower Peel, on June 23, he met R. G. McConnell, who 

 had just descended the Mackenzie. From here he ascended the 

 Mackenzie and Slave rivers to Athabaska Lake, where he arrived late 

 in October. In his narrative he gives many notes on the more con- 

 spicuous birds and mammals, especially of the region traversed be- 

 tween the Yukon and the Mackenzie. 



In the summer of 1888 James M. Macoun accompanied Thomas 

 Fawcett, of the Dominion Lands Survey, on an exploration of the 

 Athabaska from the mouth of Lesser Slave River to the junction of 

 the Clearwater, up that stream, and thence to the Churchill. The 

 party left Athabaska Landing on May 25, and ascended the Atha- 

 baska to the mouth of Lesser Slave River, which was reached June 

 5. From this point the expedition turned back and descended the 

 river to Fort McMurray, reaching there late in June. The ascent of 

 the Clearwater was commenced June 26, and the height of land to 

 the waters of the Churchill was crossed by the Methye Portage. 

 Thence, by way of La Loche or Methye, Buffalo, and Isle a la Crosse 

 lakes, the party reached the Churchill, where explorations were con- 

 tinued. On this trip J. M. Macoun took many notes on the birds, 

 thus making the first detailed observations on the ornithology of that 

 region and greatly extending the known ranges of many species. 

 Unfortunately these notes remained unpublished for several years. 

 They were first put on record by John Macoun in his Catalogue of 

 Canadian Birds, recently published. 



In the summer of L889 R. G. McConnell, of the Canadian Geological 

 Survey, explored a considerable portion of the country lying between 

 Peace and Athabaska rivers to the north of Lesser Slave Lake, fol- 

 lowing several canoe routes and trails between the two rivers. 



In 1889 and 1890 Warburton Pike made a hunting and exploring 

 trip into the interior of Mackenzie. From Fort Resolution, which 

 he reached in the summer of 1889 by the usual route down the Atha- 

 baska and Slave rivers, he went to Fort Fond du Lac, on the north 

 shore of the eastern part of Great Slave Lake. Thence he made an 

 early autumn trip northward to Lake Mackay and Lac de Gras, first 

 explored and named by him, near the upper part of the Coppermine. 

 In November and December he made another trip into the same region 

 and well toward the Arctic Sea, and then returned to Fort Resolution. 

 Late in the following spring, in company with James MacKinlay, 

 he made another trip to Lake Mackay, and when navigation opened 

 descended Lockhart River to Aylmer Lake, and, portaging to the 

 headwaters of Back River, descended it as far as Beechey Lake. They 

 then returned by way of Clinton-Colden and Artillery lakes to Fort 

 Resolution. Thence Pike ascended the Slave and Peace rivers in an 

 attempt to cross the mountains to the Pacific, but was obliged, after 

 suffering great hardship from cold and famine, to relinquish the 



