10 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. [No.22, 



stuffed and faded specimens, entirely inadequate to meet the require- 

 ments of modern scientitic methods. This lack of material, in con- 

 nection with the absence of definite knowledge as to the boundaries 

 of the life zones, made it desirable that a collection, as thorough as 

 possible, be made in the region. 



Earl}" in the summer of 1900, therefore, I was detailed to make a 

 biological reconnaissance of as much of the region immediately to the 

 west of Hudson Bay as it would be practicable to cover in a single 

 season. My brother, Alfred E. Preble, of Tufts College, Massachu- 

 setts, accompanied me as assistant. 



The Hudson's Baj^ Company still maintains trading posts through- 

 out the region we were to visit, and the officials of the company com- 

 pose almost its entire white population. These posts are situated on 

 the usual lines of travel, and constitute the only bases of supplies 

 available; hence it was considered advisable to arrange with the com- 

 pany for food and means of transportation. 



This we did on our arrival at Winnipeg on June 13, and obtaining a 

 canoe from the company, set out the next day down the Red River. 

 The following morning we took the Northwest Navigation Company's 

 steamer Prlncem at West Selkirk, and on June 17 arrived at Norway 

 House, near the north end of Lake Winnipeg, where we were to begin 

 operations. Here we collected until June 23, when our northern trip 

 was resumed. We took two Indians for guides, boatmen, and camp 

 hands, and a large Peterborough canoe, in which our collecting and. 

 camp outfit and provisions were carried. 



We passed down the east channel of Nelson River, and ascending 

 the Echimamish, followed the usual boat route to York Factoiy, stop- 

 ping to collect at favorable points. At the head of the Echimamish 

 proper, which terminates abruptly at a rock about 30 j-ards broad 

 called the Painted Stone, we made a portage and launched our canoe 

 in a small lake. A stream flows eastward from this lake and we thus 

 had the advantage of the current for the remaining distance to Hud- 

 son Baj\ Beyond Painted Stone Portage the route passes successive!}' 

 through the Robinson lakes, Franklin River, and Pine, Windy, 

 Oxford, Knee, and Swampy lakes. These different lakes vary from a 

 few miles to forty in length, and the channels connecting them con- 

 tain numerous rapids. Hill River forms the outlet of Swampj^ Lake, 

 the last of the chain, and unites with Fox River to form Steel River. 

 This in turn unites with the Shamattawa, and the resulting stream, 

 known as Hayes River, empties into Hudson Bay at York Factory. 

 On reaching the Bay we exchanged our canoe for a sailboat and made 

 our way up the west coast to Fort Churchill, at the mouth of the river 

 of that name. Here, after a few days' stay, I left my })rother to com- 

 plete the collection, while I pushed northward well into the Barren 

 Grounds. This trip consumed three weeks, and on my return to Fort 

 Churchill we immediatelj^ started on the homeward journey in order 



