20 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. . [No. 22, 



Along the coast here the woods are visible from the Bay, and scattered 

 dwarf spruces and tamaracks extend to the shore. Before Hubbart 

 Point is reached, however, the tree limit curves inland so rapidly that 

 the forest disappears from view altogether, although, according to 

 Tyrrell, it can be seen with a glass from the summit of Hubbart Point. <* 



This point, which we passed on the afternoon of August 2, is a high, 

 grassy headland used as a burial place by the Eskimos, and is the most 

 conspicuous landmark on this part of the coast, the mound near Seal 

 River, just mentioned, being next in importance. Egg Island, which 

 is mentioned as a breeding place for many sea birds, is apparently not 

 conspicuous, for we failed to identify it either time we passed, prob- 

 ably being too far off shore to see it. At dark on August 2 we anchored 

 behind a small, rocky islet somewhat north of Egg Island, and at day- 

 light next morning were again on our way. 



By noon we had reached a sandy point near Thlewiaza River, 

 which proved so favorable a spot for collecting that I remained there 

 several days (PI. XII, fig. 1). From the shore to a number of rocky 

 and gravelly ridges a few feet in height, which were several miles 

 inland, the country was nearly level, and was mostly wet and filled with 

 small hummocks. Near the shore were many broad, shallow ponds and 

 muddy flats. Occasional dry areas, apparently raised sea beaches, 

 were covered with rounded boulders of various sizes, and were inhab- 

 ited by lemmings of the genus Len)mus, the burrows of which also 

 occurred in the drier portions of the adjacent grassy meadows. A 

 large species of meadow mouse {Microtus) was also found here, but 

 was more abundant in the patches of coarse beach grass {Elynius 

 niolliv) which grew on the sandy ridges near the shore. On the gravelly 

 ridges back from the immediate shore, pied lemmings {Dicrostonyx) 

 were fairly abundant, and a number were secured. Dwarf shrubs, 

 none of them exceeding a few inches in height, abounded; the most 

 conspicuous were black crowberry {Empetrutn nigruui), dwarf birch 

 {Betida nana), Labrador tea (Zedi/m jyahistre), and several species of 

 dwaif willows, including Saliat anglarum and S. phylicifolia. The 

 scene was one of absorbing interest. On the beach and mud flats and 

 about the shallow ponds thousands of shore birds of a dozen species 

 circled and fed, the larger kinds, mainly Hudsonian curlews and god- 

 wits, keeping at a little distance, the smaller kinds almost oblivious of 

 my presence. In the deeper ponds among the ridges back from shore 

 red-throated and Pacific loons, which later made night hideous by their 

 cries, were feeding their unfledged young. Pomarine and parasitic 

 jaegers harried about the tundra or sat motionless on the knolls, 

 apparently asleep. "Willow ptarmigan led their broods about in search 

 of food, and horned larks, Lapland longspurs, tree and savanna spar- 

 rows, and redpolls flitted from boulder to boulder. 



"Ann. Kept. Can. Geol. Surv., 1896 (new aer.), IX, p. 90F. (1897). 



