34 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



windflower, mountain sorrel, Indian paintbrush, moss plant, flower- 

 ing wintergreen, and sedge. Several alpine larch trees and juniper 

 bushes were also taken to complete the natural setting for the group. 

 The abundance of fireweed and Indian paintbrush added much color 

 to the hills. 



With all the necessary specimens for the goat group packed and 

 shipped, I turned my thoughts to the sheep group. Banff had been 

 suggested as the proper locality for the sheep work, and on July 22 I 

 left Field for that place. Located in the heart of the Rockies, sur- 

 rounded with snow-topped mountains covered with evergreen forest, 

 Banff is indeed a spot of exquisite beauty. Major Jennings, Superin- 

 tendent of the National Park, advised me to make my collections at 

 the Gap. 23 miles east of Banff on the road to Calgary. He informed 

 me that on one occasion he had seen 50 sheep at that very spot. Most 

 generously he allowed Mr. Ashley, one of his wardens, to take me to 

 Mount Grotto at the Gap. We had not been there more than 5 minutes 

 before I caught sight of my first sheep. After a little exploring, I 

 too was convinced that this place would make a perfect setting for 

 our sheep group. The mountains in the background, being without 

 glaciers, would form a decided contrast with the mountain back- 

 grounds of some of our other habitat groups. These mountains were 

 Mount Pigeon (7,855 feet). Mount Lougheed (10,190 feet), and the 

 Three Sisters (8,850 feet). 



On the way back to Banff it was my great pleasure to see 30 elk in 

 a herd and a coyote, two mammals I had never before seen in the wild 

 state. I also saw black bear, mule deer, ground squirrels, and gophers. 

 Arrangements were made with a man owning a truck to take me back 

 to Mount Grotto and to help collect material for the group. 



Among the plants obtained from this mountain were snowberry, 

 bearberry, wild rose, buffaloberry, serviceberry, yarrow, chickweed, 

 catchfly, bellflower, and the nodding onion. Wild currant and wild 

 raspberry bushes also grew in abundance here. Photographs were 

 made of this section, and color notes were taken in order to assist the 

 artist in reproducing a natural and effective background. 



While at Banff, I visited the National Museum, seeing a fine repre- 

 sentative collection of mounted birds and mammals of that region, 

 along with well-arranged exhibits of the flora and geologic collections. 



On July 30 I left for home, greatly pleased with the results obtained. 

 Much credit for the success of the trip is due to the splendid co- 

 operation of the Superintendents of the Yoho and Banff National 

 Parks, together with that of the guides and employees of the 

 Canadian Pacific Railroad. 



