6 c 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. 



Climate. 



Zoology. 



Habits of 

 Mammals 



Dr. Elliott 

 Coues. 



which had been ascertained by the officers of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany or others in regard to the crops which might be raised. Besides 

 our own experience in regard to the nature of the climate, information 

 was collected from others as to rain, snow, frosts, winds, &c, all with 

 a view to ascertain as far as possible how much of the country may 

 some day be turned to account for the support of man. Facts bearing 

 on these subjects will be given in the course of this report. 



Attention was paid to the zoology of the country explored as far as 

 our time would permit. 



Mammals. — I continued to gather information as to the habits and 

 life-history of all the species known to inhabit the district, both by 

 direct observation and by prosecuting my enquiries among the officers 

 of the Hudson's Bay Company and the better class of Indian hunters. 

 I have been collecting notes on this subject for several years from all 

 parts of the basin of Hudson's Bay, and I propose to give the results 

 in a future report. In the meantime I beg to express my obligations 

 to the gentlemen referred to and also to Dr. Elliott Coues, of Wash- 

 ington, D.C., the well-known authority in this department, for the 

 correct determination of some of the smaller species. 



Bii'ds.—A. list will be found in the appendix of fifty-five species of 

 birds, of which I obtained specimens of either the skins or eggs. 



mens°co S ne e c C ted. This list may be of some interest in extending our knowledge of the 

 geographical range and of the breeding grounds of some of the species 

 enumerated. Although the number of birds whose occurrence was 

 noticed is considerable, I have not added their names to this list, in 

 case of doubt. During the coming season I hope to procure speci- 

 mens of many of them, along with others not hitherto noticed. 



Fishes. — In travelling "light" in small canoes I was unable to 

 carry along alcohol for preserving the smaller species, and none can 

 be obtained at the posts in the district. When opportunities occurred, 

 however, I preserved specimens of the larger fishes with common salt. 

 Before publishing a list of the fishes of the district, it will be well to 

 take advantage of the opportunities which it is expected will be 

 afforded during the coming summer for adding to the number of 

 species already known, and increasing our knowledge of the distribu- 

 tion of the others. I may mention that I have ascertained the exist- 

 ence of twenty-one species in Lake Winnipeg or the adjacent waters. 



Pisb.»s of La&e From specimens which 1 sent to Professor Baird, Professor Gill, of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, has determined the herring white-fish, which 



Herring white- is caught in abundance at the mouths of the Nelson and Hayes rivers, 

 to be Coregonus Artedi. The same fish is abundant at the mouths of all 



Pike-perch, the rivers around James' Bay. The pike-perch from York Factory he 



