INTRODUCTION. XE 
and mosses. With these slight exceptions, the specimens brought to 
England were entirely collected to the north of the Great Canada 
Lakes, beyond the settled parts of Upper Canada, and, in fact, in a 
widely extended territory, wherein the scattered trading posts of the 
Hudson’s Bay Company furnish the only vestiges of civilisation. The 
following work may, therefore, be termed a Fauna; or, more properly, 
Contributions to a Fauna of the British American Fur Countries ; or 
it may be considered, in a general view, as comprising what is known 
of the Zoology of that part of America, which lies to the north of the 
49th parallel of latitude, and which, to the east. of the Rocky Moun- 
tains, at least, is exclusively British. I have, however; included in it 
descriptions of a few specimens obtained a degree or two to the south- 
ward of that latitude on Lake Huron and on the River Columbia, in 
both of which quarters there are several fur-posts of the Hudson’s 
Bay Company. After having travelled through the Fur Countries 
lying to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains, for seven summers, 
and passed five winters at widely distant posts, it will scarcely be 
thought that I arrogate too much in saying, that almost all the 
quadrupeds that are objects of chase or interest to the natives, and a 
very great proportion of the birds, either came within the scope of my 
own observation, or were mentioned in the many conversations I had 
with the white residents and native hunters, on the natural pro- 
ductions of the country. But, although my opportunities of ascer- 
taining the number of species actually inhabiting the northern parts of 
America were so great, I must confess, that a journey like ours, in 
which natural history was only a subordinate object, and at many 
periods of which the shortest delay beyond that absolutely necessary 
for refreshment and repose, was inadmissible, did not afford much 
opportunity for studying the manners and habits of the animals with 
the attention I could have wished to have devoted to that subject. 
The present work, therefore, though fuller than any preceding one, 
is to be considered only in the light of a sketch, in which many omis- 
sions remain to be supplied and inaccuracies to be corrected by future 
observers. ‘To render the list as complete as possible, I have included 
pti 
