43 
ITINERARY OF THE JOURNEY 
By the Junior Author 
During the summers of 1928 and 1929 the junior author headed a 
party of four on a six and ten weeks canoe trip through the central Canadian 
wilderness, with the intention of making a study of the birds, mammals, 
fish, and molluscs of the region. The second in command of the party was 
Mr. Jack T. Kemp, and the collections of molluscs herein discussed were 
made by Mr. Kemp and the junior author. Collections of living animals 
were made, and “wind rows” along the shorelines were carefully explored 
for washed up shells. In this way it is felt that a fairly representative 
collection of the forms living within the area traversed was assembled, 
though undoubtedly time will show that some species were missed. How- 
ever, it is hoped that this report may stimulate collecting in this interesting 
area, for it is largely virgin territory. There are uncounted hundreds— 
if not indeed thousands — of lakes in this region that have never been 
studied; what treats they hold for the biologist, and especially for the 
conchologist, can not even be guessed at. 
The 1928 trip started on the border waters at Ely, Minnesota, heading 
west and north through Basswood, Crooked, and Wicksteed lakes to lake 
La Croix; up Quetico river and through Beaverhouse, Quetico, Jean, 
Batchawana, and Flood, and so to Eva lake; then, turning south, through 
Pickerel, Sturgeon, Chatterton, Kahnipiminanikok, Saganagons, Saganaga, 
and Knife, and so back again to Basswood lake. The 1929 trip started 
from Sunstrum, 30 miles west of Sioux Lookout, and pushed northward 
through Rock lake into lac Seul, down English river to Pakwash lake, 
down Troutlake river to Trout lake; then back to the junction of Trout- 
lake river with Woman river, and up the latter stream. Then followed 
dozens of lakes, including Woman, Shabumeni, Birch, Kapikik, to Cat 
lake, where the party turned south and east. Down Cat river through 
Zion z, Fawcett, Kezik, Bamaji, and Blackstone lakes to the west end of 
lake St. Joseph; down the entire 105-mile length of St. Joseph to and up 
Pashkokogan river entering at its eastern extremity; through Pashkoko- 
gan lake, followed by Llamilton, Fitchie, Hill, Armit, and Fairchild lakes, 
Marchington river, Schist, Kimmewin, Stranger, Marchington, Botsford, 
Abram, and Pelican lakes, and so to Sioux Lookout. 
The region traversed during 1929 is rough and rocky in the extreme. 
It is very largely a granite country, covered with a heavy stand of excellent 
spruce (Picea mariana ), with large areas of muskeg swamps and their 
typical biota distributed throughout. Glacial action is everywhere in 
evidence and, particularly in the vicinity of Marchington river, great 
gravel moraines were encountered, together with many “dead” lake beds 
and old glacial river channels. The lakes, almost without exception, are 
large and relatively shallow. The shorelines are extremely irregular, and 
for the most part dangerously rocky. Sand beaches are rare, though more 
in evidence farther north than in the Quetico country. Many small lakes 
are mere puddles set in great muskeg swamps. These have a soft muck 
bottom and are full of aquatic vegetation, abounding in large Lymnjeas 
and Bulimnea locally. The lakes being shallow, the shores are subjected 
to a terrific pounding by the waves, and in such exposed areas gasteropods 
