Volume 8, 1955 - The Arctic Circle - Home

VOL, VIII NO.2 THE ARCTIC CIRCULAR 32of beaver in the vicinity of Fort Simpson was made and this waslater combined with a more extensive aerial survey undertakenin the autumn. During the winter, using aircraft and dog teams,predator control work and animal studies on moose and caribouranges were carried out in the Keller Lake area.Routine studies of buffalo and fur-bearing animalswere made in Wood Buffalo National Park during the spring byW. A. Fuller, who later carried out a beaver survey east ofFort Smith, an area in which the only previous travellers whohave left written records were Samuel Hearne in 1771 and CharlesCamsell in 1914.J, P. Kelsall continued research on caribou in theDistrict of Mackenzie.In late February 1954, A. G. Loughrey opened aCanadian Wildlife Service office in the Defence ResearchNorthern Laboratory at Fort Churchill. In March he madeaerial surveys of barren ground caribou herds in northernManitoba and the District of Keewatin. Data on winter rangedistribution, spring migration, and calf counts were obtainedand several aerial census techniques were tested. In Aprilhe went to Frobisher Bay to make an aerial survey of caribou;in May similar work was done at Fort Churchill. The periodfrom July to early September was spent in the study of theAtlantic walrus. During a week on Walrus Island observationswere made while the herd was undisturbed and a technique fortagging adult walrus was initiated. Thirty were tagged. Inaddition a method of counting the animals in a herd was developedand used. Measurements and biological specimens were alsoobtained from walrus collected by the Eskimo. During the sameperiod 25 Brunnich1s Murres were banded at the colony on CoatsIsland. Greater difficulty was experienced in catching the birdsthan during the previous summer, when 500 were banded, becausebanding was attempted after the young had hatched and the adultswere not "sitting" as closely.-Brlinnich's Murres were also studied by L. M. Tuckand a student assistant on Akpatok Island, Despite the difficultiesinherent in the site valuable life-history data were acquired inIJuly and August.