240 



NOKTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



traded to the Eskimo, who prize this fur highly for trimming their 

 clothing. The supply never seems to equal the demand. The Eskimo 

 craze for this fur is well illustrated by an incident in which my 

 party figured. AATiile ascending Peel River on June 30, on our way 

 to Fort McPherson, we passed a party of Eskimo, who ascertained 

 by inquiry that we were the bearers of a small package of wolverene 

 skins, consigned to the Hudson's Bay trader at Fort McPherson. 

 The party immediately broke camp and started for the post in their 

 whaleboat. Fearing that we should arrive before them they pro- 

 posed that we embark in their boat and tow our canoe. We declined 

 their close company, however, and the wind having died down, they 

 were unable to keep pace with our light canoe and were speedily left 

 behind. Ten miles below the post we passed another Eskimo family, 

 also eager for wolverene fur. The man immediately launched his 

 kayak and by great exertion kept with us until we reached Fort 

 McPherson. Here he lost no time in trading for the skins, so that 

 Avhen the larger party reached the post a few hours later, the fur was 

 beyond their reach, to their deep chagrin. A large party will some- 

 times remain for weeks near a post if there is a prospect of obtaining 

 their favorite fur. 



In the National Museum are skulls from Great Slave Lake, Fort 

 Simpson, Fort Anderson, and Peel River (Fort McPherson). Some 

 of these, as well as specimens from Liard River, have been already 

 recorded by different writers. 



An imperfect skull was picked up on Melville Island during 

 Parry's first voyage ; ^ J. C. Ross recorded this animal as numerous 

 at Victoria Harbor, and states that tracks were seen and skins ob- 

 tained at Felix Harbor, in the same region.^ King noted the animal 

 at Portage La Loche (Methye Portage), in the summer of 1833.^' 

 Warburton Pike found it common in the country between the eastern 

 part of Great Slave Lake and the source of the Coppermine in the 

 autumn of 1899 ; ^ Russell observed it at the Mackenzie delta in the 

 summer of 1894.^ Tyrrell noted the occurrence of this species on the 

 east side of Artillery Lake in the summer of 1900.^ Hanbury men- 

 tions shooting a female which was swimming across Dease River, on 

 the upper part of its course, in August, 1902. She bore in her mouth 

 ti ground squirrel.^ Darrell, who accompanied Hanbury, writes me 



« Suppl. to Appendix Parry's First Voyage, p. clxxxiv, 1824. 



'^Appendix to Ross's Second Voyage, p. ix, 1835. 



« Narrative Journey to Arctic Ocean, I, p. 91, 1836. 



^ Barren Ground of Northern Canada, p. 35 et seq., 1892. 



^Expl. in Far North, p. 139, 1898. 



^Ann. Kept. Dept. Interior (Canada) for 1900-1901, p. 115, 1902. 

 9 Sport and Travel in Northland of Canada, p. 232, 1904. 



