May, 1921. J 



The Canadian Field-Nat lkalist. 



95 



Bay Company have posts at Fort Albany, 

 the last recently established ; a large Roman 

 Catholic mission is also situated there. The 

 estuary of the Albany River is about 16 

 miles long and is composed of many is- 

 lands, the largest, Albany Island, being 

 about seven or eiglit miles long and about 

 one-half as wide. Near the middle of the 

 soutjh side of this island the settlements 

 are established. Tide water extends to 

 the head of Albany Island. 



The river flows across a plain which 

 slopes toward James Bay at less than two 

 feet per mile. For about ten miles below 

 the steel, the Pagwachuan flows through 

 boulder clay overlain by silts and sand, 

 the latter rising into hills and ridges. For 

 this distance the bedrock is pre-Cambrian 

 in age and is seen by outcrops of grey 

 granite in the river bed. To t^e north 

 the crystalline rocks are overlain by Palae- 

 ozoic limestones and sjiales, and across this 

 sedimentary basin, the country, as seen 

 from the rivers, is a monotonous muskeg 

 dotted with stunted black spruce. The 

 floor is of sphagnum moss, laurel and La- 

 brador tea. T;he river valleys give variety 

 in vegetation and topography, their ter- 

 races being commonly covered with fair 

 stands of white spruce, white birch, white 

 aiid balsam poplar, and scattered cedar, 

 tamarack, as^ii and jackpine. Isolated stands 

 of a.sh and elm occur at the junction of 

 the Kabinakagami and Kenogami rivers, 

 and on the latter river near the mouth 

 of Little Current River. Red osier dog- 

 wood and willow grow along the river 

 flats. 



Birds. 



' Loon, Gavia i)nh('r. Two seen in the 

 estuary of the Albany River, August 18th. 



Herring Gull, Larus argentatus. One 

 seen at mouth of Pagwachuan River, Aug- 

 ust 5th. Two immatures seen at Forks 

 of Albany, August 12th. Several seen 

 each day between the Forks and- the est- 

 uary of t;ie Albany, August 13th — Aug- 

 ust 18th. On lower Albany adult birds 

 seen August 24th. 27th and Sept. 1st. 

 Immature birds seen August 18th, 25th, 

 28th, 31st, Sept. 5th and one at the mouth 

 of the Pagwachuan, September 13th. 



C'ommon Tern, Sterna hirundo. Several 

 seen in the Albany estuary, August 18th 



and 24th. Several were seen at Fishing 

 Creek Island', Augu.st 26th. 



American Merganser, Mergus america- 

 nus. Birds probably of this species were 

 observed as follows : — two at mouth of 

 Pagwachuan River, August 5th ; a flock 

 at Fort Albany, August 20th ; eight at 

 Hat Island-, August 31st. 



Mallard, Anas boscJws. Five seen in the 

 hands of I«tlian iiunters, at Albany, Aug- 

 ust 21st. They were killed along the coa.st 

 to the west of the river. 



Black duck, Anas ohscura. One seen in 

 Albany estuary^ August 18th; several seen 

 in t^ie hands of Indian hunters at Fort 

 Albany, August 20th. 



Golden-eye, Clang ula dangula. Two 

 seen at mouth of Pagwachuan River, Aug- 

 ust 5th; five ducks probably of this spe- 

 cies near Snake Island", August 14th. 



Canada Goose, Branta canadensis. Seen 

 as follows:^ — At Fishing Creek Island, 

 Albany River, five seen on August 17th ; 

 in estuary of Albany, twelve seen on Aug- 

 ust 18th and again on 19th; a flock seen 

 at Fort Albany, August 21st; twelve in 

 the estuary, August 26th; twelve at the 

 mouth of Ghost (Chipie) River\ August 

 30th; twelve at Hat Island, August 31st; 

 a flock 20 miles up the All»aiiv from 

 Forks, Sept. 3rd. 



Wilson Snipe, GalUnago delicata. One 

 seen at ipe Forks of the Albany. Sept. 2nd. 

 and one about 30 miles above the Forks, 

 September 5th. 



Semipalmated Sandpiper, E rennet es pu- 

 sillus. Birds probably of this species seen 

 as follows : — August 1st, two near mouth 

 of Pagwachuan River; flocks near the 

 moutli of Chipie River, August 14th, 15th 

 and 16tli ; their notes heard at the Forks 

 of the Albany, Sept. 4th and 5th. 



Greater Yellow-legs, Totanus melano- 

 leucus. Generally common from t^ie mouth 

 of the Pagwachuan River to Fort Albany 

 between August 3rd and September 6th. 

 after which none were observed. Two old 

 birds flew back and forth past our camp 

 at the mouth of the Pagwachuan, August 



■« About 50 miles up the Albany. 



-■ About 35 miles below the Forks of the 

 Albany River. 



•1 About 16 miles below the Forks of the 

 Albany River. 



* 50 miles below Forks. 



