70 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



adjacent mainland were examined. The party then retraced its way. 

 reaching the head of Back River August 31, and Fort Resolution 

 September 16. The official report contains a few notes on the natural 

 history of the region. 



KENNICOTT'S EXPEDITION, 1859, AND ITS RESULTS. 



The year 1859 marked the beginning of a period of nearly ten 

 years, during which more light was thrown on the natural history 

 of the Mackenzie River region than during any equal period before 

 or since. This resulted from the visit of Robert Kennicott, an 

 enthusiastic young naturalist sent to that region by Prof. S. F. Baird 

 in the interests of the Smithsonian Institution. In the words of one 

 of his northern friends : During his three years' sojourn in that 

 qiiarter he managed to infuse into one and all with whom he had any 

 intercourse more or less of his own ardent, zealous, and indefatigable 

 spirit as a collector.'' Reaching the Canadian border by way of 

 Chicago and Lake Superior, Kennicott left Fort AYilliam. on the 

 north shore of Lake Superior at the mouth of Kaministiquoi River, 

 on May 19, 1859, and traveled b}^ way of Rainy Lake, Lake of the 

 Woods, and Lake Winnipeg to Xorwa}^ House. From here he pro- 

 ceeded up the Saskatchewan and by the well-known Methye Portage 

 route to the Athabaska. where he arrived August 3, and, traveling 

 rapidly down the rivers, reached Fort Simpson on August 15. Here 

 he passed the autumn of 1859, except while making a trip to Fort 

 Liard, which occupied three weeks. Early in January, I860, he 

 made another trip to Fort Liard, where he remained until the last 

 of February, and then returned to Fort Simpson, arriving on March 

 8. On March 25 he joined a party going to Big Island, a trading- 

 post on the north shore and near the outlet of Great Slave Lake and 

 near the island of that name. He arrived there on April 1 and 

 remained until April 5, when he left for Fort Rae, arriving April 10. 

 Here also he made but a short stay, leaving on April 16 for Fort 

 Resolution, where he arrived April 18. He remained at that place 

 until some time in August, collecting assiduously and making many 

 interesting observations. In August he descended the Mackenzie to 

 Peel River (Fort McPherson), where he remained a short time and 

 then crossed the mountains to La Pierre House, arriving on Septem- 

 ber 18. After a stop of one day he descended the Porcupine to Fort 

 Yukon. Here he remained until August, 1861, when he returned 

 to Peel River, remaining there until late in December, and then went 

 back to La Pierre House. He remained there until January 31, 

 1862, when he again set out for Peel River, where he arrived about 

 three days later. In the spring he proceeded up the Mackenzie to 

 Fort Simpson. He had intended to spend the coming summer at 

 Fort Anderson, the newly established post on Anderson River, but 



