PREFATORY 



Eecentiy meeting' an old friend, in the person of Mr. 

 Charles Mair, of Lethbridge, 1 was informed by him that 

 he was shortly bringing ont what I believe will prove 

 an interesting narrative of the Athabasca and Mackenzie- 

 Eiver Native Treaty Expedition of 1899. After some con- 

 versation on the subject, we concluded that certain published 

 iS'otes of mine on the Birds and Mammals, incorporated, 

 therewith, might probably have the effect of inciting the am- 

 bition of some Canadians in emulating the good example set 

 them by many of the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company 

 and others in the way of making similar exertions on similar 

 lines, and thus contributing to the Xatural History of their 

 great Dominion. We also hoped that the Federal Govern- 

 ment might be induced to do all that was possible to 

 encourage this laudable course, which, if followed by the 

 Ministerial Executive of the several Provinces, would cer- 

 tainly go far in this very desirable direction. The National 

 Museum at the Capital is without doubt a credit to the- 

 authorities, but if the people wish to own such an institution 

 as they might and ought to have, then every effort should be- 

 put forth in order to secure, first, the filling up of the many 

 gaps in the catalogues of well-known species, which are still 

 unrepresented therein; and, next, the continuation of the^ 

 good work, for the reason that very much will have to be 

 accomplished before our Canadian Fauna becomes satis- 

 factorily, far less exhaustively ascertained, and the result 

 of future explorations duly communicated to the. scientific 

 world. 



These Notes were originally intended, as already indi- 

 cated, as a continuation addition to the Paper of 1891 on 



J 51 



