BARREN-GROUND CARIBOU. 109 



rarely leave those provinces, while they may frequently pass from 

 one favorite haunt to another. They are very restless animals, 

 almost constantly on the move, and, indeed, this is the disposi- 

 tion which promotes habits of migration. 



The summary of all the evidence I can gather on the subject is, 

 that the woodland caribou are migi-atory in their habits, but to 

 a much less extent than the northern species, even where there 

 are no physical obstructions to limit their migrations. 



The most singular feature of this habit is thus stated by Sir 

 John Richardson ("Fauna Boreali Americana," p. 250), who 

 says : " Contrary to the practice of the Barren-ground Caribou, 

 the woodland variety travels to the southward in the sjDring. 

 They cross the Nelson and Severn rivers in numerous herds in 

 the month of May, and pass the summer on the low marshy 

 shores of James Bay, and return to the northward, and at the 

 same time retire more inland in the month of September." Here, 

 then, we find the woodland caribou migrating to the northward, 

 on the west coast of Hudson's Bay, and west of it as high as 

 55° to 57° of north latitude, which is within one degree of 

 Churchill, which is near the southern limit of the range of the 

 Barren-ground Caribou in that longitude as given by Richardson, 

 though I have authentic evidence that they sometimes come con- 

 siderably farther south in exceptional seasons. Mr. McTavish 

 assures me, that in the winter of 1856, the Barren-ground Cai'i- 

 bou came in great numbers down the Mississague River to Lake 

 Huron, about thirty-six miles below the Bruce Mine. This was 

 in about 47° north latitude, and the extreme southern point of 

 the range of the woodland caribou. This, we may admit, was 

 very exceptional, but we may, I think, safely assume, for all the 

 evidence clearly establishes the facts to this extent, that the 

 northern range of the southern species, and the southern range 

 of the northern species overlap each other, for at least a degree, 

 and sometimes very much more, not only in Labrador, but also 

 west of Hudson's Bay. As we go still further west, even to the 

 Coppermine and Mackenzie rivers, which is the western limit of 

 the range of the Barren-ground Caribou, the southern line of 

 their range trends more to the northward, and so does the northern 

 range of the woodland caribou, and as the latter travel north in 

 the fall, at the same time that the smaller species return from 

 the arctic regions with their young, they must there, sometimes, 

 meet on common ground during the rutting season, at least the 

 latter part of it. This season, with individuals, continues for 



