REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 69 



kinson has transmitted others not yet received; so that this fort hids 

 fair to be as well marked for an almost perfect knowledge of its natural 

 history as Fort Tejon through the labors of Mr. Xantus. A comparison 

 of collections from these two points in the same range of mountains, 

 dividing the Pacific and middle faunas, and about 500 miles apart, 

 has proved of scientific interest in determining the geographical distri- 

 bution and variation of the species of California animals, many of the 

 facts elicited being quite unexpected. 



Exploration of other points on the West Coast. — Dr. C. A. Canfield, of 

 Monterey, has gathered additional materials for illustrating the natural 

 history of his vicinity. Rev. Jos. Howell and Dr. W. 0. Ayres have 

 furnished important collections of shells for Mr. Carpenter's use, in 

 his proposed elaboration of the conchology of western America. Mr. 

 J. G. Swan, of Washington Territory, has also contributed largely to 

 the same object, /specimens of birds and eggs have been received from 

 Mr. Hepburn, of San Francisco, and Mr. Ferdinand Gruber ; and of 

 Californian coniferae, from Mr. Wm. Murray. 



Exploration of the Hudson's Bay territory, by Mr. Bobt. Kennicott. — 

 In the last report reference was made to the exploration of the Hudson's 

 Bay country by Mr. Robt. Kennicott. Siuce that report was written, 

 advices have been received from him up to July, 1860. He had reached 

 Fort Simpson in September, and after a short excursion up the Liard 

 river to Fort Liard, in the Rocky Mountains, returned to Simpson, 

 where he spent the winter as the guest of Mr. B. R. Ross, the gentle- 

 man in charge of the Mackenzie River district. In the spring he went 

 to Great Slave Lake for the purpose of collecting eggs ; making Fort 

 Resolution his headquarters, and meeting with great success. 



For a most generous cooperation of the Hudson's Bay Company, 

 through Sir George Simpson, and its officers in England and America, 

 the Institution is under the greatest obligations. Every possible facility 

 has been furnished to Mr. Kennicott, not only in permission to visit 

 the different posts, but in the way of free transportation of himself and 

 his collections, quarters at the posts, &c. Wherever he has gone he 

 has found an appreciation of his mission and a readiness to assist, grati- 

 fying in the highest degree. Nearly all the gentlemen in charge of 

 different posts have undertaken to make observations in meteorology 

 for the Institution, (for which purpose Mr. Kennicott carried with him 

 blank registers, thermometers, &c.,) as well as collections of such 

 objects of natural history as he might not succeed in securing himself. 



The gentlemen to whom Mr. Kennicott expresses bis indebtedness 

 most particularly, after Mr. Ross, are Mr. L. Clarke, Mr. J. Reid, 

 Mr. A. McKenzie, Mr. MacFarlane, and Mr. Hardisty. 



To Mr. B. R. Ross, chief trader, in charge of the Mackenzie River 

 district, the Institution is under great obligations, not only for protec- 

 tection and assistance to Mr. Kennicott, which his official position so 

 well enabled him to furnish, but for a special contribution of his own. 

 In cooperation with the officers of the posts in his district, he has un- 

 dertaken and already, to some extent, realized a special exploration 

 of his district, entirely independent of that of Mr. Kennicott. Full 

 observations upon the climatology, periodical phenomena, and other 



