1908.] ROUTES TRAVERSED ALBERTA. 85 



to Artillery Lake by way of the route followed on the outward jour- 

 ney and met him there late in August. Here they were joined by 

 Fairchild early in September, and the reunited party reached Great 

 Slave Lake on September 13 and Fort Resolution September 23. 



In the summer of 1007. Ernest Thompson Seton, accompanied by 

 Edward A. Preble, made a canoe trip to the Barren Grounds about 

 Ayhner Lake. The party left Athabaska Landing- about the middle 

 of May, and voyaged down the Athabaska and Slave to Smith Land- 

 ing, arriving early in June. Seton remained in this vicinity about a 

 month, making three trips into the country to the westward, in co- 

 operation with Inspector A. M. Jarvis, of the Royal Xorthwest 

 mounted police, for the purpose of investigating the condition of the 

 herds of wood bison. After completing these investigations, Seton 

 left Fort Resolution about the middle of July, and voyaging to the 

 eastern extremity of Great Slave Lake, followed the Pike's Portage 

 route northeastward to Artillery Lake, and spent a few weeks on the 

 Barren Grounds about Clinton-Colden and Ayhner lakes. The return 

 trip by canoe commenced about September 1, and Athabaska Landing 

 was reached about November 1. 



Xo complete account of this journey has appeared, but a list of the 

 birds observed about (Treat Slave Lake and northward, published by 

 Seton in the "Auk/ adds to the previously recorded ranges of many 

 species. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT OF ROUTES TRAVERSED BY BIOLOGICAL 



SURVEY PARTIES. 



ROUTE BETWEEN EDMONTON, ALBERTA, AND MOUTH OF 



MACKENZIE. 



For about 20 miles north of Edmonton the face of the Country is 

 quite flat. The slight depressions, particularly in spring, are occu- 

 pied by sloughs or swamps, which support an occasional bunch of 

 spruces, but are mainly covered or fringed with willows. The drier 

 parts of the country are mainly devoted to agriculture, though here 

 and there a grove of poplars still remains. The road, which follows 

 :; general northerly course is usually bordered by fenced fields and 

 frequently turns at right angles to accommodate their square out- 

 lines. The soil is a dark, still' clay. In the spring, when this is 

 thoroughly saturated, the roads are well-nigh impassable. 



As the road approaches Sturgeon River, a tributary of the Sas- 

 katchewan, it turns northeastward and. following the v(\^ of the 

 valley for about 5 miles, it descends and crosses the river. Then 

 turning northward again, it follows the valley of the Sturgeon and 

 a northern tributary to Lily Lake, a distance of !» miles, passing 

 first along the gentle slopes of the Sturgeon Valley, then over a 

 succession of rocky ridges sparingly clothed with poplars (Popuhis 



