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yards above the International Boundary. Five miles north and
also coming in from the west is Gold Creek, this is bordered by
the Poplar belt and then the thick woods and has quite a number
of beavers.
On the east side of the river above the poplar belt is a
belt of jack pine and douglas fir of perhaps two miles width and
then the true open Tobacco Plains. Col. [Columbian] ground squirrels are
common. Pocket gophers give evidence of having been very
abundant, but are now very scarce; badgers absent probably
due to the proximity of an Indian Reserve. In the high
areas of the Tobacco Plains, near Horseshoe Lake there is a
large colony of horned larks, a pair of Bartram sandpipers and
12 or 14 pairs of sharp-tailed grouse.
About a mile to the south of the Horseshoe Lake is what is
locally known as 'the Tamarack Swamp'. It is a fair sized patch
of timber made up for the most part of western larch and douglas
fir. (In this, flyings squirrels were found).
Loon Lake is a small body of water lying in the thick
woods about nine miles northeast of Newgate and very close to
the Indian Reserve. Flying squirrels were found in this area
also.
Notes on Badger [underlined].
Are out mostly at night but have twice found them abroad,
in daylight, once at 7 A.M. and once at 4 P.M. Nest dug out
at the end. No nest. Stomach of one contained 3 young ground-
squirrels and 1 adult [female symbol]. Young had been bitten once in back
of head and eaten whole. Old one pulled in 4 or 5 pieces and
bolted. They can dig out nest of pocket gopher and must
locate it by hearing. Ground squirrels take possession of old
badger workings and badger regularly returns to these and gets
the gophers. Weights of 4 [male symbols] from Newgate 16 3/4, 22 1/2 and 30 lbs. [pounds]
Do not roam on cold or wet nights in the spring. Seem to come
out about every other night.
June 3, 1930, Radium Hot Springs, B.C. [British Columbia]
Left Radium Hot Springs at 9 A.M. arrived Banff 1.10.
Left at 2 P.M., arrived Calgary 5.10, left 6.30, arrived
Innesfail [Innisfail] 9.15, 300 miles.
Between Radium and Banff saw 1 rabbit, very dark; 15 or
20 mule deer - horns very small - not yet showing points; 12
ram mountain sheep; 1 muskrat. Between Banff and Calgary,
Richardson's ground squirrel; 20 or 30 mountains sheep ewes.
Between Calgary and Innisfail, 4 jack-rabbits and 1 varying
hare, Chestnut coloured. Longspurs and prairie horned larks
common.
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