Lepus glacialis. Principal food the dwarf-birch.
Cervus tarandus, var. arctica. | Graminivorous, or more commonly
Ovibos moschatus. ƒ lichenivorous,
A belt of low primitive rocks extends from the Barren-grounds to
the northern shores of Lake Superior. I t is about two hundred miles
wide, and as it becomes more southerly, it recedes from the Rocky
Mountains, and differs from the Barren-grounds, principally in being
clothed with wood. I t is bounded to the eastward by a narrow stripe
of limestone, and beyond that there is a flat, swampy, partly alluvial
district, which forms the western shores of Hudson’s Bay. As far as
regards the distribution of animals, the whole tract, from the western
border of the low primitive rocks to the coast of Hudson’s Bay, may
be considered as one district, with the exception that the sea-bear
seldom goes further inland than the swampy land which skirts the
coast. The whole may be named the Eastern district, and the following
animals inhabit i t :—
Yespertiliones, species duo vel tres ignotse.
Sorex palustris.
„ Forsten’.
Scalops, species ignota.
Ursus American us.
, , maritimUS. | (Uoeslnot go further from'the sea-
l shore than one hundred miles.)
Meles ?
Gulo luscus.
Mustela (Putorius) vulgaris.
9j » erminea.
j) 33 vison.
33 martes.
33 Canadensis.
Mephitis Americana, var. Hudsonica.
Lutra Canadensis.
Canis lupus, varietates varise.
,, (Vulpes) lagopus.
31 33 fulVUS.
a \ i i ii • var. decussata.
m a a ,i a rg e n ta ta .
Felis Canadensis.
Castor fiber, Americanus et ejus varietates.
Fiber zibethicus et ejus varietates.
Arvicola xanthognathus.
33 Pennsylvanicus.
„ (Georychus} Hudsoniusv
Mus leucopus.
Meriones Labradorius.
Arctomys empet-ra.
Sciurus (Tamias) Lysteri.
33 Hudsonius.
Pteromys Sabrinus.
Lepus Americanus.
Cervus- alces.
,, tarandus, var. syivestris.
The district just mentioned is bounded to the westward by a very
flat limestone deposit, and the line of junction of the two formations
is marked by a remarkable chain of rivers and lakes, among which are
the Lake of the Woods, Lake Winipeg, Beaver Lake, and the middle
portion of the Churchill or Missinippi River, all to the southward of
the Methy portage ; and the Elk River, Athapescow Lake, Slave River,
Great Slave Lake, and Martin Lake, to the northward of it. The
whole of this district is well wooded ; it yields the fur-bearing animals
most abundantly; and a variety of the bison, termed from the circumstance
the wood bison, comes within its western border, in the more
northern quarter. This animal has even extended its range to a particular
corner, named Slave Point, on the north side of Great Slave
Lake, which is also composed of limestone. The following animals
may be found in the limestone tract;—
Vespertilio pruinosus.
Sorex pa’lustris..
„ Forsteri;
Condylura longicaudata. (Southern parts only.)
Ursus Americanus.
Gul'o luscus.
Mustela- (Putorius) vulgaris.
„ „ erminea.
» » vison.
d2