8 Geo. o Provincial Museum Report. O 7 



Notes on bird observations have been received from the following : J. E. Kelso. M.D., and 

 W. B. Johnson. Lower Arrow Lakes ; A. H. Palmer, New Westminster ; J. A. Munro, Okanagan 

 Lauding ; and others. 



BARE ISLAND BIRD SANCTUARY. 



(This island is known as Indian Reserve No. 9, Saanich Tribe, and is situated in Haro 

 Strait about twenty miles north-east of Victoria.) 



Owing to certain conditions it was not deemed advisable to place a warden on this island 

 during the last nesting season, and it was expected that after this island had been guarded so 

 closely for the two previous seasons, and persons warned to keep away, no person would go there 

 to molest the gulls, guillemots, puffins, and cormorants that make this island their nesting ground. 



But in a report that wits sent to me by Mr. Leonard S. Higgs, who lives on one of the 

 neighbouring islands, it seems imperative that a guard must be maintained on Bare Island 

 during the nesting season and continued indefinitely. The following is a quotation from his 

 letter : — 



" As perhaps you know. I take a deep interest in the few sea-bird breeding-places in the 

 neighbourhood, and especially in that on Bare Island, which I have visited practically every 

 summer for twenty-five years. 



" The policy of the Government in placing a warden on Bare Island for a couple of months 

 during the breeding-season was admirable, and was responsible for raising the number of breed- 

 ing pairs to at least double what it was two or three years ago. But it is a policy which 

 should be continued indefinitely. 



" My experience this summer has been as follows : I visited the island early in June, when 

 the nests were just made, and contained either one or two eggs. I counted over 100 eggs in an 

 area perhaps equal to one-thirtieth of the breeding-ground, taking an average of one egg and 

 a half to each nest at that time. When the full hatches should have been laid, the number of 

 eggs available for hatching should have been 6,000. I called again after an interval of ten 

 days, and should have had difficulty in finding 100 eggs upon the entire island, practically every 

 nest being empty. No bird, however prolific, can stand such treatment." 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 



Accessions, 1917. 



By Purchase front Lieutenant F. C. Swawnell (yos. 2912-296.'/). 



1. Athabascan. From the Northern Interior of British Columbia. This portion of the 

 collection consists of 100 specimens which were acquired by Lieutenant Swannell at the follow- 

 ing localities: Lac la Hache, Chestalla Lake, Fraser Lake, Stuart Lake, Stella Lake, and the 

 Babine River country. It consists principally of articles of stone, such as arrow and spear 

 points, knives, chisels, skin-scrapers, hammers, pipes, and a polished mirror. There are also 

 snow-shoes, bone skin-scrapers, adzes, fish-spears, knives with iron blades, and birch-bark 

 baskets. 



2. Salishan. From Lillooet seventeen specimens include a two-handed stone pile-driver of 

 the rare type, illustrated in last year's report. There are also a few specimens from the Lower 

 Fraser River. Victoria, and the Bella Coola region belonging to this stock. 



/.'< p. C. Croucher Collection, mostly from Yale, B.C. (Nos. 2919-S13T). 



2996 to 2999 and 3137. A remarkable set of carved stone dishes. Of these, No. 2996 is of 

 soapstone in a very fine state of preservation. Like Nos. 2998 and 3000, it represents a seated 

 human figure. No. 2997 is of bird form, and 2999 closely resembles a turtle. No. 3137 is a very 

 large, crudely carved object of animal form. 



There are also four small figures of human shape, and a knife-handle of horn, boldly carved 

 to represent certain ancestors of its Indian maker. 



The rest of the collection includes stone dishes (some of cigar-holder shape), a stone labret, 

 and a great number of stone chisels, hammers, arrow-points, etc. 



Collection itresented by Mrs. Deicdney on behalf of the late Edgar Deicdney (Xos. 2904 to 2911). 

 2904. Salish. Medicine-man's head-dress of two paws of grizzly bear with claws. 



