6 
were selected so as to give a representative view of the chief types of 
vegetation, and to make possible a study of the development of the entire 
flora. The first set of specimens will be found in the National Museum at 
Ottawa, and the second at the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University. 
Mrs. Raup looked after the lichens and mosses, while the writer collected 
the ferns and flowering plants. Reference to the map (Figure 1) and 
itinerary 1 will show the general outline of the work. A short paper 
describing some of the major geographic problems involved has already 
been published (53) , but is summarized in the following pages. 
It has been extremely difficult to form a comprehensive idea of the 
country by the ordinary means of travel in the past, for there are but few 
places of sufficient elevation to afford a view, and it is only with the 
advent of aerial photography and mapping that the true nature of the 
complex system of land and water relations can be seen. This holds true 
also for a study of the distribution of types of vegetation and the historical 
development of the same. The recently published maps above mentioned 
form the basis for a far more detailed analysis than has been possible here- 
tofore, and the photographs themselves, loaned to the writer through 
the courtesy of the Director of Surveys, Department of National Defence, 
have been used to compile a series of local maps of vegetation which would 
have been possible in no other way. Simple diagrammatic sections, or tran- 
sects, will be used to supplement the maps. The contours of the land sur- 
faces thus indicated are not accurately drawn, but although they may be 
slightly exaggerated to bring out certain features, they show relative 
arrangement sufficiently well. The vegetation is classified into plant asso- 
ciations, each of which is designated by the species (one or more) that 
predominate in it and give it its general cast or appearance. 2 The width 
of these associations as shown by the diagrams is, of course, extremely 
variable, but their relative size, which is the most important consideration, 
is fairly clear. Where the transects represent actual sections, as they do 
in most cases, the places are indicated by lines on the maps. 
1 The following is an abbreviated itinerary of the writer’s travels in Wood Buffalo park, (C) indicates 
that collections and studies of local distribution problems were made at the places where it appears in the 
list. Modes of conveyance are indicated by: (St) -steamer or motor tug, (Ca)-canoe or skiff, (H)-pack- 
horse, (W T )-wagon or buckboard, (P)-back packing. 
1926 1 Mouth of Embarras channel, Athabaska delta, July If (C). 
1927: Left Chipewyan (Ca) June 6; Quatre Fourches channel, Peace delta, June 7 and 9 (C); 30th base 
line, Slave river, June 10-20 (C). 
1928: Left Waterways (St) June 6 (C); left Fort Smith, June 14 (W) ; Smith to Pine lake, June 14-17 
(G); Pine lake and vicinity, June 17-July 12 (C) ; trip to Lane lake (Ca), June 20 (C) ; Pine lake to 
Peace point (H), July 12-15 (C-Round lake, July 14); Peace point, July 15-22 (C); Peace point to 
slough country along upper Murdock creek, July 22-26 (Ca): Murdock creek. July 26-29 (C); Govern- 
ment Hay Camp, Slave river, July 29-Aug. 16 (C) ; Hay Camp to Fitzgerald via prairies along Salt 
river (H), Aug. 16-22 (C- prairies, Aug. 19-20); arrived Waterways, Aug. 30. 
1929 ; Left Waterways (St), June 5; left Fort Smith (Ca), June 12; portage, Salt River village to 
Little Buffalo river (W), June 13; started up Little Buffalo (Ca), June 15; falls of Little Buffalo, June 
18-24; passed winter trail to Sucker creek July 2, and Ninishith hills July 7-8; Moose lake. Juiy 12-17 
(C); Moose lake to Pine lake (P), July 17-20; Pine lake, July 20-Aug. 1 (C); Pine lake to Moose lake, 
Aug. 1-4 (H) ; Moose lake, Aug. 4-19 (C); Moose lake to Government Hay Camp (H-W), Aug, 19-26; 
arrived Fort Smith, Aug. 27, and Waterways, Sept. 4. 
1930: Left Waterways (St), June 4; left Fitzgerald (St), June 10; left Peace river at Indian grave- 
yard (H), June 16; camp at base of Caribou mountains, long. 113° 55', June 21-July 8 (C), and long. 
113° 57’, lat. 58° 52', July 8-28 (C) ; reconnaissance trips into Caribou mountains (H), June 23, July 11-12 
(C), July 23 (C); Indian graveyard, Peace river, July 28- Aug. 2 (C) ; arrived Government Dog Camp, 
lake Mamawi (St), Aug. 4; stop at Peace point (C). Aug. 2-3; trip to Reed portage, Embarras channel 
(Ca) (C), Aug. 14-15; trip to Hay (Prairie) river (Ca) (C), Aug. 18; Government Dog Camp, Aug. 4-21 
(C) ; left Dog Camp, Aug. 21; left Fitzgerald (St). Aug. 25; arrived Waterways, Aug. 27. 
2 The word association will be used in a broad sense to mean any aggregation of plants that » 
readily seen to be different from its neighbours on account of the preponderance of one or more species 
that reach their best development in it. No attempt will be made to define smaller or larger units; of 
vegetation other than the major “ types,” such as prairie, timber, muskeg, etc. 
