1895,] Geography and Travels, 45- 
GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVELS. 
Zoological Explorations in the Far North.—Thereis rejoic-- 
ing at the State University of Iowa over the safe return of Mr. Frank 
Russell, after two and a half years’ absence in the far north, where he 
has been engaged in zoological explorations. 
Mr. Russell undertook to secure series of specimens of the larger 
mammals, besides birds, ethnological material, etc., from the less acces- 
sible parts of North America embraced in the region between Lake 
Winnipeg and the Arctic Coast. His explorations were made under 
the auspices of the State University of Iowa, from which institution he- 
graduated in 1892. 
Arriving in August, of 1892, at the mouth of the Saskatchewan. 
River, on the northwest shore of Lake Winnipeg, he spent the first 
winter in securing series of moose, northern hare, ptarmigan, etc., and 
also became accustomed to the management of dog-sleds and snow-- 
shoes, thus securing the necessary training and experience for the more 
serious work of the succeeding year. Voluminous notes were taken of 
the fauna of the region, and much information secured concerning the- 
folk-lore and religious customs of the Swampy Cree Indians, 
In February, of that year, Mr. Russell traversed the length of Lake- 
Winnipeg, some three hundred miles, on snow-shoes, experiencing some 
of the coldest weather met with during his entire trip. From Winni-- 
peg he went to Fort McLeod, near the foot-hills of the Rocky Mount- 
ains, just north of the boundary line, where six weeks were spent in, 
collecting mammals and birds. Returning by rail to Edmonton, he- 
traveled overland to Athabasca Landing and then descended the Atha-- 
basca River in a York-boat, with some officers of the Hudson Bay 
Company, reaching Fort Chippewyan, on Lake Athabasca, May 15th.. 
A month was spent on the shores of the lake in securing a series of the- 
birds of that region, the collector camping out alone during the entire- 
time, living in a little “A” tent, and seeing but one man-—a Cree In-- 
dian. 
Early in July, our explorer proceeded down the Slave River to- 
Great Slave Lake, reaching Fort Rae, on the northwest extension of 
the lake, early in August. This point was his base of operations until) 
May of the succeeding year. During his various hunting trips from 
this center, he explored the vast and little-known territory around the 
Great Slave Lake, in some cases reaching points at least four hundred 
