THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 



VOL. XXXIV. 



OTTAWA, ONT., OCTOBER. 1920. 



No. 7. 



NOTES ON THE FAUNA OF THE MOOSE RIVER AND THE MATTAGAMI 

 AND ABITIBI TRIBUTARIES.* 



By M. Y. Williams. 



Introduction. 



During a geological trip made in the summer of 

 1919, between the National Transcontinental rail- 

 way, and Moose Factory, the writer gathered the 

 information contained in this article, on the fauna 

 of the region. 



The trip was made by canoe, from Fauquier on 

 the Transcontinental railway down the Groundhog 

 river to Mattagami river, down this to Moose river 

 and thence to Moose Factory, which is situated be- 

 low tide water nine miles up river from James bay. 

 The return route was up Moose river to the mouth 

 of Abitibi river, up this river to Frederick House 

 river and up this river to the landing near Clute, 

 fourteen miles northwest of Cochrane. 



The journey was commenced on August 1st, 

 and was completed on September 5th. Rainy 

 weather between the 22nd and 28th of August de- 

 layed travel, and hindered observations materially. 



The region traversed is wooded, except for burnt 

 areas, some of which are old and of large e.xtent. 

 The clay belt as seen at Cochrane extends far down 

 river, with the muskeg areas probably predominat- 

 ing over the clay ridges. High sand hills are crossed 

 in the Abitibi canyon, and are reported elsewhere. 

 The region south of James bay is covered with 

 marine silt which is more fertile than the soil of the 

 clay belt. 



The rivers have incised their channels from fifty 

 to two hundred feet into the loose deposits, their 

 character, whether slow, rapid or torrential depend- 

 ing upon the rock outcrops. Above the foot of the 

 Long Portage on Mattagami river, and the Otter 

 portage on Abitibi river, the streams are broken, 

 by many rapids and falls, the intervening stretches 

 of water being cither slack or of moderate current: 

 this region is underlain by pre-Cambrian gneisses, 

 and other crystalline rocks. Lower down, the coun- 

 try is underlain by limestone, sandstone and shale, 

 and the rivers have few interruptions, although long 

 stretches of rapids occur where the rock flows over 



*Publislu>rt \.itli pcrniis.'iiuii uf the Geological 

 Survey of Canada. 



limestone and shale ledges. 



The river banks commonly rise twenty to fifty 

 feet to a narrow terrace. This terrace which aver- 

 ages about 200 feet in depth, slopes upward to the 

 general level of the country, which is principally 

 muskeg,-^a floor of spagnum moss, laurel, and 

 Labrador tea, studded sparsely with black spruce. 

 The terraces are well timbered with stands of white 

 birch, white and black poplar, and white spruce. 

 Where the region is underlain by pre-Cambrian 

 rocks, white cedar. Jack pine, and some tamarack 

 occur. At the water's edge, and on the sand-bars, 

 willows and dogwood grow in dense masses, and 

 during the summer, golden rod, and even red clover 

 grow along the banks at favourable places. 



A distinct difference is to be noted between the 

 water of Mattagami and Abitibi rivers. The water 

 of the former is dark in colour, but reasonably clear, 

 while that of the latter is very muddy. This prob- 

 ably accounts for the absence on the Abitibi of fish 

 ducks, fish hawks, and other birds which prey upon 

 fish, although these occur commonly on the Mat- 

 tagami. Fishing on the Abitibi is likewise very 

 poor. 



Birds. 



COMMON LOON, Cavia irumer. Two seen at 

 mouth of Kapuskasing river on August 4lh. flying 

 from the direction of a small lake lying to the east. 



HERRING CULL, Lams argentalus. Generally 

 common along the Kapuskasing, Mattagami, and 

 Moose rivers from the National Transcontinental 

 railway to Moose Factory, and up as far as the sec- 

 ond rapids above the mouth of the Abitibi river. 

 The greatest number were seen on the Mattagami 

 river between the mouth of the Groundhog and the 

 foot of the Long Portage. One was seen at the 

 foot of the Long Rapids on the Abitibi river. Im- 

 mature birds in grey plumage were seen on three 

 occasions, one being shot near the second rapids 

 above the mouth of the Abitibi river on August 

 25th. Dates of observation, August 1st to 29th. 



COMMON TERN, Sterna hinmdo. Several seen 

 almost every day spent between Moose Factory, 



