BIRDS 



OWING to the difficulties of northern transportation, goose, 

 swan, and other bulky skins were not saved. All the 

 specimens here enumerated were made up by the writer, except 

 eight skins which are the gift of Mrs. W. C. King, of Cedar 

 Lake, and one specimen from Rae. With the exception of the 

 Crow Nest Pass collection, all were dried before being packed, 

 and reached Iowa City in excellent condition. A number of 

 crania, sterna, and internal organs were preserved. 



The Grand Rapids specimens were obtained between August 

 30th, 1892, and February 20th, 1893. Together with those col- 

 lected in 1891 1 the list of birds to be found at that post is be- 

 lieved to be fairly complete. Cedar Lake is certainly a much 

 better station for an ornithologist. 



Macleod is on the border of the Rocky Mountain region and, 

 while it is not a desirable location, would be a good starting 

 point from which to enter the Crow Nest Pass. The prairie 

 region, which contains many lakes, between Winnipeg and 

 Macleod is the great breeding ground of the smaller water 

 birds as well as of Canada geese and many of the ducks. North 

 of this, toward the North Saskatchewan, a scattered growth of 

 poplars, alders, and other small deciduous trees, offers a bar- 

 rier to the further northward movement of many of the land 

 birds. Beyond the Saskatchewan the country east of the Mac- 

 kenzie system is nearly uniform in its nature, consisting of low 

 Archaean hills scantily covered with coniferous forests, inter- 

 spersed with muskegs and lakes. 



The Chippewyan collection is a fairly representative one for 

 the month, May 15-June 15. I stationed myself on the most 

 conspicuous island in the midst of the large delta-plain at the 

 western end of Lake Athabasca, where I could devote my 



1 See report by Professor C. C. Nutting, in Vol. II, No. 3, of the Nat. 

 Hist. Bull, of the State Univ. of Iowa. 



253 



