"Yet the main river channels are open, and shallow lakes on the mud 

 banks are thawed out. Here in almost freezing temperatures, while hardy- 

 plants flower and mosquitoes buzz, one may see the geese, swans, and 

 black brants* I^iland a few miles, Canada geese, sandhill cranes, white- 

 fronted geese, pintails, and scaups are to be observed. Still farther 

 up river one may note the green-twinged teals, wigeons and mallards, and 

 even a fair number of shovel ers. 



"A small canoe is towed behind the big one. It oan be transported 

 upon a man's back to inland lakes. When packing is to be done back away 

 from the water for any distance, dogs are often employed. These creatures 

 carry as much as 35 pounds each, after the manner of pack burros in the 

 Southwestern States. 



"There is probably no field work anywhere in the world that is much 

 slower or more tedious or filled with greater hardship, once the airplane 

 is abandoned. The tundra is soggy underfoot, large lakes halt one*s prog- 

 ress, and small streams and pockets of water need be crossed and recrossed 

 often hundreds of times daily. One is sopping wet most of the time. This, 

 coupled with mosquitoes, poor fare, and often little or no wood to cook 

 with or dry out by, adds to the misery of travel. 



"In the summer months the Eskimos do not traverse this country. They 

 meet at camping places on the open coasts where oold winds discourage the 

 insects. Eere the whaling and fishing for the next winter's food supply 

 is carried on. As no one relishes this country by summer it is difficult 

 to obtain a native with canoes for a trip. Usually, some chap who has 

 had a poor trapping season by virtue of his own poor equipment and lack 

 of initiative is all there is to be had. The resultant help and boats 

 leave much to be desired and do not add to one's efficiency of comfort. 

 In many places monoy is little used and it is difficult to hire a man for 

 such worthless paper. Ee cannot eat it and is usually more interested in 

 working for himself, putting up whale and fish." 



Atlantic Flyway 



Harold S. Peters, the biologist of the Atlantic Flyway, operated in 

 the Maritime Provinces of Nova Scotia, Hew Brunswick, and Prince Edward 

 Island during May 1939. Upon invitation by the Canadian Government he 

 Joined the personnel of the Eastern Arotic Patrol. Leaving Montreal on 

 July 8, on the R.M.S. Easco pie, the expedition sailed northward along 

 the coast of Labrador, crossed" Hudson Bay to Fort Churchill, Manitoba, 

 again crossed the Bay and proceeded northward, touching at points on 

 Baffin Island and other islands in the Arctic Arohipelago, finally reach- 

 ing the most northerly point of call at Craig Harbour, Ellesmereland. 

 This region is the summer home of the Atlantic brant, and of the blue 

 and snow geese, as well as of several species of sea ducks. The party 

 returned to Montreal on September 25, with much useful information con- 

 cerning the bird life of the eastern Arctic. Before returning to his 

 headquarters at Charleston, S. C, Peters devoted about two additional 

 weeks to checking waterfowl conditions in the Maritime Provinces, during 

 the early part of the hunting season. 



6 



