144 



NOKTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[no. 27. 



Mackenzie's descent, of the river which now bears his name, he was in- 

 formed by the Indians that buffaloes abounded on the plains bordering 

 the stream which entered from the north the expansion of the river 

 now known as the Little Lake. a On the return journey, his party 

 killed a buffalo near the same place. 6 During his exploration of Peace 

 River he noted numerous herds of buffaloes on the plains near Ver- 



Fig. 12. — Former distribution of American bison (Bison bison) and its northern sub- 

 species (B. b. athabasrw) in central Canada. A few small herds still exist in the area 

 indicated by cross lines. 



milion Falls ; c and he mentions also that the animal was common at 

 the mouth of ' Sinew ' River, a stream entering Peace River from the 

 south a short distance east of the mountains.'* Harmon, in 1808, 

 found the animals abundant on the plains on either side of Peace 

 River from Vermilion Falls nearly to the Rocky Mountains; c and in 

 1810 saw some on the Peace between Forts Dunvegan and St. John/ 



a Voyages to Frozen and Pacific Oceans, pp. 24, 25, 1801. 

 the stream now known as Horn or Willow River.) 

 b Ibid., p. 109, 1801. 

 c Ibid., p. 125, 1801. 

 d Ibid., p. 163, 1801. 



e Journal of Voyages and Travels, p. 174, 1820. 

 f Ibid., p. 187, 1820. 



(This rnnst refer to 



