500 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 21. 



In the narrative of his third overland journey to the Arctic Sea, 

 Kichardson, perhaps referring only to his early experience Avith the 

 species, says that Sialia arctica " enlivens the banks of the Mackenzie, 

 coming, however, not from the Atlantic coasts, but from the opposite 

 side of the Rocky Mountain Range." " The catalogues of the Na- 

 tional Museum record a skin from Fort Halkett, on Liard River, and 

 eggs from Lesser Slave Lake. Macoun, on the authority of Spread- 

 borough, says: 



Observed a few about the end of July, 1903, at Dunvegan, Peace River ; ob- 

 served nesting at Lacombe, near Edmonton, Alta., June 18, 1897; * * * 

 common from the upper crossing of the Lob-stick River to Camp River, B. C, 

 west of the Athabasca Pass ; also seen in large flocks at the Henry House, 

 Athabasca Pass, September 2nd, 1898 ; last seen September 25th.* 



In 1895 J. Alden Loring reported a flock seen on the Jasper House 

 trail at the crossing of McLeod River, probably in August. In 1896 

 he reported the species common in small flocks all along the trail 

 between Edmonton and Jasper House in the early summer, and saw 

 several families in the moimtains and foothills along the trail be- 

 tAveen Jasper House and Smoky River in the late summer and early 

 autumn. 



MacFarlane, in a manuscript list, records a specimen which was 

 shot at Fort Resolution early in June, 1880. It was sent to J. J. 

 Dalgleish, who identified it. H. W. Jones, in a letter, reports seeing 

 one at Hay River, Great Slave Lake, on July 12, 1907. 



REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS OF THE ATHABASKA-MACKENZIE 



REGION. 



But few reptiles and batrachians live in the territory now mider 

 review, and all the species known there were observed by our party. 

 No systematic collection in this class has been made, but the list is 

 probably fairly complete, although one or two salamanders may be 

 found to occur. In the case of most of the species our observations 

 extend the previously known ranges. Dr. Leonard Stejneger of the 

 National Museum has assisted me in the work of identification. 



Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Say.). Northern Garter Snake. 



A specimen taken by us at Edmonton, Alberta, May 10, 1903, is 

 i"ef erred to this form by Dr. L. Stejneger. This snake is common 

 about Edmonton and along the road to Athabaska Landing. We 

 did not observe it north of the latter point, but I was informed that 

 garter snakes, probably of this form, are found in the Peace River 

 Valle}^, and are especially common near Dunvegan, on the upper 



« Arctic Searching Expedition, I, p. 200, 1851. 

 ^ Oat. Canadian Birds, Part III, p. 730, 1904. 



