288 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



1890-1891, were shipped direct to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution at Washington, D.C., United States. 



The country adjacent to the indicated localities in the 

 several stated districts is all, in their season, not only- 

 rich in animal life, but also admirably adapted for the 

 nesting of numerous species of land and water birds, which 

 have before now yielded valuable returns of material to older 

 and even later visiting naturalists, while the list under re- 

 view is but a mere surface contribution, so that a vast and 

 very opulent field still remains open for the operations of 

 many future explorers in this and other interesting depart- 

 ments of Canadian Natural Science. 



Although regrets are useless, yet the writer must be per- 

 mitted to state that he has frequently felt that after leaving 

 the Anderson Eiver, in 1866, where he had the satisfaction 

 of making the large collection of birds and eggs entered 

 in a paper on the subject published by the United States 

 National Museum, Vol. XIV., pages 413-446, 1891, he 

 might and ought to have continued at Forts Simpson, Chip- 

 ewyan, St. James and Cumberland House, where he was 

 successively stationed from 1866 to 1894, on a somewhat 

 similar basis, the fascinating pastime occupation of collection 

 and observation so well begun and steadily followed there 

 (Eort Anderson) for several years. 



Partly in the hope that it may prove as a warning against 

 future self-reproach on the part of any one who may neglect 

 to avail himself of the opportunities pertaining to his official 

 position and its environment, but chiefly in the wish that 

 Canadians may always keep in view the desirability, aye, 

 the necessity, that exists for doing something in the way 

 of elucidating and otherwise advancing the Natural History 

 of the great Dominion, I would here once more urge 

 the Inland and Coast Officers of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany, together with the many resident Mission and Govern- 

 ment agents, traders, tourists and other travellers, to devote 

 some of their spare time to this interestingly instructive and 

 creditable pursuit. 



