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have seen a prairie wolf (could have shot it), musk rat, red 

 fox, gophers, and prairie dog. Deer are common about twenty 

 miles away, I understand." 



" December 14th. — My homestead will be at Redvers, about 

 twenty miles from the Moose Mountains, and is very wooded. 

 I have been down there once and had a rough time of it. 

 There are 160 acres, and a certain amount has to be broken 

 up each year. I shall try some entomological work, but fear 

 I shall not be able to do a lot until I get the place a bit forward. 

 On our road to Redvers we had to cross a river about as big as 

 the Catford stream, but banks about three quarters of a mile 

 one side to the other. A very gentle slope, wooded and broken, 

 just the sort of place to fire one's ardour. What it must be 

 like in the summer I don't know, but they say it is a veritable 

 paradise, and just the sort of place for fritillaries and blues. 

 They say the wild plants are numberless, large lilies as big as 

 any hot-house ones, and grow in millions. The butterflies, 

 too, fly up in clouds, so I think there is a good time in front. 

 Later on I may get up farther, into Alberta, British 

 Columbia, etc. Apple trees do not grow in Assiniboia as yet ; 

 all manner of means are being tried to grow them, but 

 Ontario is the spot, or British Columbia. Have not done 

 much shooting lately, only jack rabbits (pure white). Wolves 

 are fairly common, but have not had a chance of a shot yet, as 

 it wants a rifle, a shot gun is too fine. The country is now 

 covered with snow, and will remain so until spring. We 

 have just had a very cold " snap " the last three days, 30°, 

 35°, 40° below zero. I have had my nose frozen, but it 

 soon recovered with care. This happened through driving 

 two hours in a blizzard, after horses that broke and joined a 

 herd of fifty or sixty. We now have the journey to do 

 again. The houses are kept very warm, stoves in the centre 

 of the room, and I guarantee warmer here at 20° below zero 

 than at 10° of frost in London. A great many of the birds 

 nest here, especially water-fowl, with such facilities for 

 breeding. The land is studded with " slews," with scrub 

 growing round them, which makes fine cover ; but I find 

 nearly all the birds migrate in winter, and only snow-birds, 

 hawks, owls, prairie chicken, grouse, and sparrows remain 

 with us. The last are very common, but of brighter plumage 

 than our British." 



