60 EEPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 



collect largely of the skins and eggs of birds, rare mammals, &c. , and 

 to return to Fort Simpson in the autumn, (of 1862,) then to arrive at 

 Fort Chipewyan, on Lake Athabasca, by the spring of 1863, so as to 

 get back to the United States by the winter of the same year. 



For a notice of the continued aid to Mr. Kennicott, rendered by 

 the gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay Company, I have to refer to the 

 next division of my report. 



Exploration of the Hudson? s Bay territory by officers of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company. — The gentlemen of many of the Hudson Bay Com- 

 pany's posts have largely extended their important contributions to 

 science, referred to in the preceding report. A large proportion of the 

 principal stations have thus furnished collections of specimens and 

 meteorological observations of the highest value, which, taken in con- 

 nexion with what Mr. Kennicott is doing, bid fair to make the Arctic 

 natural history and physical geography of America as well known as 

 that of the United States. 



Pre-eminent among these valued collaborators of the Institution is 

 Mr. Bernard R. Ross, chief factor of the Mackenzie River district, 

 and resident at Fort Simpson. Reference was made in former reports 

 to his contributions in previous years; those sent in 1861 are in no 

 way behind the others, embracing numbers of skins of birds and 

 mammals, some of great variety, insects, &c, besides very large 

 series of specimens illustrating the manners and customs of the Es- 

 quimaux and various Indian tribes. Mr. Ross has also deposited 

 some relics of Sir John Franklin, consisting of a gun used by him in 

 his first expedition, and a sword belonging to the last one, and ob- 

 tained from the Esquimaux. Mr. Ross is at present engaged in a 

 series of investigations upon the tribes of the north, to be published 

 whenever sufficiently complete, and illustrated by numerous photo- 

 graphic drawings. 



In making up his transmissions to the Institution Mr. Ross has had 

 the co-operation of nearly all the gentlemen resident at the different 

 posts in his district, their contributions being of great value. Among 

 them may be mentioned Mr. James Lockhart, Mr. William Hardisty, 

 Mr. J. S. Onion, Mr. John Reed, Mr. N. Taylor, Mr. C. P. Gaudet, 

 Mr. James Flett, Mr. A. McKenzie, Mr. A. Beaulieu, &c. 



Second in magnitude only to those of Mr. Ross are the contribu- 

 tions of Mr. Lawrence Clarke, jr., of Fort Rae, on Slave lake, con- 

 sisting of many mammals, nearly complete sets of the water fowl, 

 and other birds of the north side of the lake, with the eggs of many 

 of them, such as the black-throated diver, the trumpeter swan, &c. 



Other contributions have been received from Mr. R. Campbell, of 

 Athabasca; Mr. James McKenzie, of Moose Factory; Mr. Gladmon. 

 of Rupert House; Mr. James Anderson, (a) of Mingan; Mr. George 

 Barnston, of Lake Superior; and Mr. Connolly, of Rigolette. Mr. 

 McKenzie furnished a large box of birds of Hudson's Bay, while from 

 Mr. Barnston were received several collections of skins, and eggs of 

 birds, new and rare mammals, insects, fish, &c, of Lake Superior. 



It may be proper to state in this connexion that the labors of Mr. 



