15 
and the hillsides were too dry. A small collection was made here, including 
various voles, mice, flying squirrels, and mantled chipmunks. A scouting 
expedition to Yahk resulted in meeting Mr. H. B. Murray, Bush Super- 
intendent of the Tie and Transportation Branch, Canadian Pacific rail- 
way, which operates a private logging railway branch running southeast 
from Yahk, B.C., for about 40 miles of track along Meadow creek, a 
tributary of the Moyie, and around the headwaters of Yahk river near the 
Montana border, with several lateral branches. The company was running 
logging trains along the branch every day, and Mr. Anderson accompanied 
Mr. Murray over the line on a gasoline speeder to investigate the country. 
Mr. Murray generously offered the party the use of various abandoned 
logging camps and transportation for party and baggage over the logging 
lines. The party, therefore, moved from Goatfell camp to Yahk on 
August 30. 
Camp 6 was established on August 31 at old Camp 6 of the Canadian 
Pacific railway on Meadow creek (elevation 3,500 feet) about 3 miles from 
the British Columbia-Idaho-Montana corner. Work was carried on from 
this camp until October 3. The work was much facilitated by the privilege 
of jumping the morning logging trains or speeder and going from 5 to 15 
miles along the line, and returning the same way later in the day. This 
valley had been largely burned over in the big 1910 fire, and some parts 
burned again later, but growing up again to willow and poplar and in 
places with the original growth. A dense growth of fire weed and other 
herbs affords good food for white-tailed and mule deer, both species being 
rather common. The bottoms and lakes along Meadow creek were appar- 
ently unforested from the first. Some large stands of the heavy original 
forest are still remaining in place. Considerable collecting was done on 
American creek, which runs down from Flatiron mountain on the Idaho- 
Montana border, and on Cold creek. Mr. Hall also spent over a week at 
logging camp No. 3, near the head of Cold creek at about 4,500 feet eleva- 
tion. Short trips were made to tops of neighbouring mountains up to 
about 6,000 feet elevation. Small mammals, as elsewhere, were not very 
abundant except in favoured spots, as the prolonged drouth had reduced 
the visible food supply for many species. Probably in some areas the 
smaller mammals had been exterminated by bush fires and they had 
not yet come back. Signs of Columbian ground squirrels were more 
numerous than usual, probably due to the opening of the forested 
country by logging operations and fires. Badgers were more than 
usually common here, perhaps on account of the large ground squirrels 
population and the lack of intensive trapping, which has recently all 
but exterminated the badgers in the interior valleys of British Columbia. 
Coyotes were also numerous, but rabbits were scarce here, as at all 
other points visited this season. 
After completing the field work at Yahk, Mr. Anderson went on to 
Vancouver and interviewed the Game Commissioner of the province, Mr. 
A. Bryan Williams, obtaining information on some of the big game species; 
he also examined the Kenneth Racey collection of mammals and birds of 
British Columbia. At Victoria he spent some time at the Provincial 
Museum and made notes on the British Columbia mammals in the collec- 
tion. On the return trip he stopped off at Okanagan Landing, B.C., and 
1293 1—2 J 
