24 NOBTH AMERICAN FAUNA. [No. 22, 



the Hudson Bay material on which Edwards's figures were based, 

 Ricliardson saj's: 



The first collections of Hudson's Bay birds of which I can find any record, are 

 those formed by Mr. Alexander Light, who was sent out, ninety years ago, by the 

 Hudnon's Bay Company, on account of his knowledge of natural history; and by 

 Mr. Isham, who, during a long residence, as Governor of various forts or trading 

 posts, employed his leisure hours in preparing the skins of Ijeasts, birds and fishes." 



While at Hudson Bay Mr. Li^ht seems to have sent some birds to 

 Edwards, which were figured in the first volume of Edwards's work, 

 published in 1743; and on his return to England in 1745 he appears to 

 have turned over to Edwards, through the Royal Society, other birds 

 for illustration. Mr. Isham returning to England at nearly the same 

 time, about 30 undescribed species passed into Edwards's hands from 

 this source, and were figured, together with Mr. Light's collection, in 

 the third volume, published in 1747. 



In 1768 the Royal Society of London received from Mr. Graham, 

 of Severn River, a collection of mammals and birds from the west 

 coast of Hudson Bay. A report on this collection was published in 

 1772 by J. R. Forster, which included descriptions of a number of 

 species new to science. 



Mr. Hutchins, an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company, who spent 

 many years on Hudson Bay, mainly at the trading post at the mouth 

 of Severn River, wrote a whort time previous to 1785 a manuscript- 

 account entitled 'Observations on Hudson's Bay,' which contains 

 many notes on the habits of the birds.' Speaking of this manuscript, 

 Richardson says: 



His observations, which, in fact, embrace almost all that has been recorded of 

 the habits of the Hudson's Bay birds up to the present time, being communicated 

 to Latham and Pennant, are incorporated in the ' General Synopsis of Birds ' and in 

 'Arctic Zoology.' '' 



During the period from 1769 to 1772 Samuel Hearne made three 

 journeys overland to the northwest of FortPiince of Wales (Churchill) 

 in search of copper mines and for purposes of exploration. On his 

 first two attempts he was forced to return before proceeding very far. 



« Fauna Boreali-Americana, II, Introduction, p. ix, 1831. 



5 Ernest E. Thompson, who has examined this manuscript, cites it as follows: 



"1782. Hutchins, T. Observations on Hudsons Bay, 651 pp.: pp. 45-180 treats 

 of birds. 



"An interesting unpublished manuscript volume in the library of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company at London, with marginal annotations by Pennant. The author was 

 for twenty-five years in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company. There is no 

 date or title page to the volume, but the last date mentioned is July 10, 1782, and it 

 seems safe to conclude that it was issued about this date, from the fact that Pennant, 

 in his second volume of Arctic Zoology (p. 222), published in 178.5, refers to Mr. 

 liutchins's manuscript as though it had just reached him in a complete state." 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. XIII, 1890, p. 639 (May 29, 1891). 



c Fauna Boreali-Americana, II, Introduction, p. xi, 1831. 



