Plant and Animal Associations in the Interior of the Ungava Peninsula by FRANCIS HARPER xU-.:OOL LIBRARY DEC 2 3 196c HARVARD UNiy^RSITY U.S.*. THE ALLEN PRESS Lawrence, Kansas ^(J i L • ■ ^'*^ JLm^aOvM CONTENTS Introduction 5 Arctic-Alpine areas 9 Ridge at Lac Aulneau 9 Sunny Mountain 12 Ruth Lake Ridge 16 Lorraine Mountain 18 Forested areas 20 Closed-crown forest at Lac Aulneau 20 Closed-crown forest at Attikamagen Lake 22 Closed-crown forest at Ashuanipi Lake 25 Forest at Carol Lake 27 Lichen woodland at Lac Aulneau 34 Lichen woodland at Leroy Lake 35 Burnt tract at Knob Lake 37 Muskeg at Lac Aulneau 42 Open bogs 43 String bogs 43 A moss-sedge bog at Attikamagen Lake 47 Aquatic habitats 47 Lakes 48 Small ponds at Lac Aulneau 50 Boggy Ponds at Mile 224 Airstrip 51 Rivers, creeks, and brooks 52 Summary and conclusions 53 Literature cited 56 plant and animal associations of ungava peninsula o Introduction The aim of this paper is to present a few simple data on the ecological relationships of plants and vertebrate animals in the Ungava Peninsula. Among the 18 particular localities or habitats discussed, apparently most of them had not been previously inves- tigated by a biologist. However, the vegetation of various similar habitats in the Knob Lake area has been investigated and reported on by Hustich (1949Z?; 1951a; 1951Z?). Approximately half of my local- ities are in Labrador, the rest in Quebec. Only two of them, the burnt tract at Knob Lake and the lichen woodland at Lac Aulneau, had been appreciably affected by civilization. Consequently these notes may have a certain usefulness in representing primeval con- ditions in a region where industrialization is rapidly expanding. The geographical positions of the various localities are indicated in the following list: Labrador Latitude Longitude Ashuanipi Lake, N. end 53°00' N. 66° 15' W. Attikamagen Lake, W. side 54°56' N. 66°37' W. Carol Lake 53°04' N. 66°58' VV. GiUing River (mouth) 54°39' N. 66°38' W. Lorraine Mountain 53°06' N. 66°57' W. Mile 224 Airstrip 53°02' N. 66° 15' W. Ruth Lake Ridge - 54°47' N. 66°50' W. Shiny Creek 54°47' N. 66°49' W. Stevens Lake 53°05' N. 66°57' W. Sucker Creek 54° 46' N. 66° 48' W. Quebec Camp Brook 54°48' N.. 66''50' W. Hanna's Lake 54°49' N. 66°42' W. Knob Lake 54°48' N. 66°49' W. Lac Auhieau 57°01' N. 68°38' W. Lake Wapanikskan (middle) 56°57' N. 68°55' W. Leroy Lake -- 55°08' N. 67° 14' W. Mollie T. Lake 55°02' N. 67°09' W. Sunny Mountain 55°03' N. 67° 12' W. All of the localities lie within the general confines of the Hudson- ian Life-zone ( map 1 ) ; but four of them rise above the tree-line to become part of the Arctic-alpine Life-zone. My stay at each place was too brief to permit extensive studies. The rather complex geology of the region will be touched upon only lightly. AU of my localities lie widiin the Canadian Shield, and with the exception of the closed-crown forest and a string bog near the north end of Ashuanipi Lake, they are restricted to a belt of Protero- zoic rocks, commonly referred to as the Labrador Trough. This belt is about 60 miles wide in the central part, but narrows toward the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Hudsonian Life-zone according to present delimitation. '■■'■'"■ Hudsonian Life-zone {fide Merrlam et al., 1910). * T Labrador-Quebec boundary. Circled numerals indicate the approximate averages of daily mean temperature during the six hottest weeks of summer at various meteorological stations. Map 1. — Life-zones (Arctic, Hudsonian, and Canadian) of the Ungava Penin- sula. (Basic outline of map constructed, with pennission of the Geological Survey of Canada, from Map 1045A, Geological Map of Canada, 1955. ) north end on Hudson Strait and toward the south end at about lat- itude 52°40' N. The flora and the fauna became re-established in the region after its smothering and scouring by the Pleistocene glaciation. The mantle of glacial material is generally quite thin, and bedrock commonly lies no more than 2 or 3 feet beneath the surface in fairly large areas where no rock is exposed. The Proterozoic rocks He with great unconformity on Archaean gneisses. Both sedimentary and volcanic rocks are present. The iron-ore bodies, whose discovery in recent years has been primarily responsible for the industrial devel- PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENTNSULA / opment of the interior, lie largely within the Labrador Trough. ( This geological information is derived mostly from Harrison [1952:1-3, figs. lA-lB]. See also Hare [1952].) The Labrador Trough is marked by alternating ridges and valleys, extending in a NW-SE (or NNW-SSE) direction. Some of the ridges rise as high as 1200 feet above the adjacent valleys. The tree-line varies from about 2550 feet on Lorraine Mountain to 1900- 2100 feet in the general Knob Lake area and about 900 feet at Lac Aulneau. The gradual lowering of the tree-line toward the north is partly an effect of latitude, and partly an effect of the increasing proximity of the cold waters of Ungava Bay. In the bottoms of the valleys are numerous lakes, streams, bogs, and muskegs. Data on temperature, rainfall, and snowfall are available from three meteorological stations in this general region: Fort McKenzie, Quebec, about 20 miles southwest of Lac Aulneau; Knob Lake ( old airstrip), Quebec, from which Attikamagen Lake Hes northeast half a dozen miles. Sunny Mountain northwest 25 miles, and Leroy Lake northwest 30 miles; and Sandgirt Lake, Labrador, from which Mile 224 Airstrip lies southwest 70 miles and Carol Lake and Lor- raine Mountain southwest about 90 miles. The records for the first of these stations cover 12 years; for the second, 5 years; and for the third, 6 years. The following table is copied from Addendum to Volume 1 of Cliinatic Summaries for Selected Meteorological Stations in Canada, issued by the Meteorological Division, Department of Transport, 1954: Monthly and Annual Averages of Daily Mean Temperature Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year Fort McKenzie -13 -11 1 16 33 46 54 53 44 33 18 -2 23 Knob Lake -13 -8 8 24 35 48 55 52 42 30 15 2 24 Sandgirt Lake -9 -5 5 18 33 47 57 55 46 33 16 -1 24 Average Monthly and Annual Rainfall in Inches Fort McKenzie 0.00 0.02 T 0.18 1.11 1.48 3.46 3.15 2.19 1.24 0.23 0.02 13.08 Knob Lake 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.23 0.35 2.88 3.76 2.82 2.23 1.40 0.45 0.13 14.33 Sandgirt Lake 0.00 0.00 T 0.05 1.83 3.26 3.92 3.82 3.40 1.54 0.48 T 18.40 Average Monthly and Armual Snowfall in Inches Fort McKenzie 11.2 8.6 10.7 8.7 5.3 Knob Lake 13.9 16.7 19.0 10.9 5.5 Sandgirt Lake 15.9 24.8 12.3 17.7 10.9 It will be seen that there are only minor variations in temperature and rainfall between the three stations, but tiiat Fort McKenzie has Httle more than half as much snowfall as the other two stations. These last two have some of the heaviest snow^aU on the mainland of eastern Canada {cf. Thomas, 1953: chart 4-3). The average daily mean temperatures during the six hottest weeks of summer, indi- 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.9 6.4 11.3 12.1 75.9 4.5 T 0.4 6.2 18.1 25.0 11.9 132.1 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.4 6.4 18.5 35.0 142.7 8 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. cated on map 1 for 25 meteorological stations, are derived from the Addendum mentioned above. Tlie southern Hmit of permafrost apparently extends southward nearly to the Knob Lake area (Thomas, 1953: chart 8-1). Comparatively little bare soil is in evidence, except on the shores of lakes, ponds, and streams, and on level patches of very slight ex- tent ( a few feet to a few yards in diameter ) above the tree-line ( cf. Tanner, 1947, 1:342, 345). Nearly everywhere else the ground is carpeted with mosses and lichens, together with some herbaceous plants. Additional information on the general ecology of the mammals, birds, amphibians, and fishes of the region may be foimd in reports on those groups (Harper, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962a). There is also another paper ( 1962/? ) on climatic change and its effect on bio- geography. In most of the hsts of both plants and animals on the following pages, the species are arranged in tlie order of frequency, as nearly as this could be estimated. These estimates are based in part on the number of specimens collected, and in part on the frequency with which I recorded the species in my field notes. In a few specified cases, by reason of insufficiency of data, a sequence of frequency is replaced by a systematic sequence. House (1924), Porsild (1957; 1958), and Polunin (1959) have been drawn upon for certain common names of plants that were not readily found elsewhere. The plant materials collected have been very kindly determined as follows: mosses, by Edwin B. Bartram (1953); lichens and he- patics, by W. L. Dix (1956); and vascular plants, by A. E. Porsild. I am glad to make additional acknowledgment to Dr. Porsild for a critical reading of an early draft of this manuscript. Dr. Ilmari Hustich has kindly done Hkewise. For many courtesies in the field, I am much indebted to the Iron Ore Company of Canada. H. E. Neal, of that company, has kindly provided (in litt., March 15, 1962) information on the southern limits of the Labrador Trough. Two very useful air photographs (front cover and figure 6) are included among the illustrations through the courtesy of the Royal Canadian Air Force. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOOATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA \) Arctic- ALPiN^E Areas The Arctic-alpine areas occupying many of the higher ridges and summits in the interior of Ungava offer a most inviting field for study. In flora and fauna they bear a close resemblance to the main Barren Grounds in the northern coastal areas, from which they are isolated by extensive stretches of the forested Hudsonian Life-zone. Their fauna has been much less known than their flora. The Arctic- alpine areas that I was able to investigate included the following: Ridge at Lac Aulneau (lat. 57°01' N., long. 68°38' W.; summit, 1000 feet; tree-line, 900 feet). Sunny Mountain (lat. 55°03' N., long. 67° 12' W.; summit, 2700 feet; tree- line, 1900 feet). Ruth Lake Ridge (lat. 54°47' N., long. 66°51' W.; summit, 2273 feet; tree-line, 2000 feet). Lorraine Mountain (lat. SS'OG' N., long. 66°57' W.; summit, 2955 feet; tree- line, 2550 feet). The term "tree-line" is used here in essentially the sense of Hustich (1949/?: 13); however, allowance is made for the occasional occurrence of scattered, under-sized spruces, tamaracks, or balsams above that line. The altitudes given for the tree-hnes, and for the summit at Lac Aulneau, are only approximate. The following table exhibits an interesting correlation between latitude and the altitude of the tree-hne at three of the localities ( the northernmost and the southernmost, and one in an intermediate position). I have added Fort Chimo for purposes of comparison. Locality Latitude Latitudinal distance (in miles) from next locality to north Approx. Approx. increase, per mile altitude of latitude, in altitude of of tree- tree-line ( compared with line next locality to north ) Fort Chimo 58°05' Lac Aulneau 57° 01' Sunny Mountain 55°03' Lorraine Mountain 53°06' 73 140 141 100 900 1,900 2,550 11.0 7.1 4.6 It is evident that the low temperature of the waters of Ungava Bay extends its influence over the climate (and consequently the biota) of the territory to the southward for a considerable distance. Ridge at Lac Aulneau On the west side of this lake ( National Topographic Series, Fort McKenzie sheet) a long ridge extends parallel to it, at a distance of perhaps half a mile ( fig. 1 ) . Its summit rises about 500 feet above the lake. The Barrens occupying approximately the uppermost 100 feet of the ridge are marked by numerous lichen-covered rocks, in- cluding, at the south end, a cliff that apparently constituted the nesting haunt of a pair of American Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo 10 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. lagopus sancti-johannis) , which kept screaming overhead. A Httle farther w^est, across a timbered depression, another rugged ridge rises about 200 feet higher than the first. Observations and collections on the first ridge during a few hours on July 23 and 24 resulted in the following list of the vegetation: Trees Larix laricina Tamarack Shrubs Ledum decumbens Narrow-leaved Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Betula glandulosa Dwarf birch Em,petrum nigrum, -. Crowberry Salix spp. Willows Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Vaccinium. vitis-idaea var. m,inus Mountain cranberry Arctostaphylos alpina Alpine bearberry Ground plants (vascular) Saxifraga aizoon White mountain saxifrage Carex sp. A sedge Linnaea horealis var. americana Twinf lower Foa glauca Glaucous meadow-grass Epilobiiim, angusiifolium Fireweed Tofieldia pusilla False asphodel Equisetum sylvaticum, Wood horsetail Arenaria groenlandica Greenland sandwort Diapensia lapponica Diapensia Antennaria ?affinis Pale? Everlasting Eriophorum. brachyantherum Close-sheathed cotton-grass Potentilla nivea Snowy cinquefoil Primula laurentiana Bird's-eye primrose Arnica plantaginea Arnica Mosses Rhacomitrium lanuginosum Lichens Cladonia alpestris Caribou lichen Alectoria ochroleuca Parmelia centrifuga Cladonia rangiferina Caribou lichen The vegetation in general is fairly characteristic of the Arctic- alpine Life-zone. Only four of these plants were not found by Hustich ( 1951fo ) , nor by myself, in the Knob Lake area: Eriophorum brachyantherum. Ledum decumbens, Antennaria Paffinis, and Ar- nica plantaginea. Tamarack is represented by stunted outposts en- croaching on the Barrens from the forested area below. It is difficult to account for the apparent absence of Ledum decumbens in the more southerly Arctic-alpine areas of the interior; for in the Cana- dian Northwest it occurs not only in the Arctic Life-zone, but in the Hudsonian Life-zone and even in the Canadian Life-zone ( cf. Raup, 1936:284; Porsild, 1957:map265). PLANT AND ANIMAL, ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 11 Two specimens each of the following mice were obtained among the rocks on the summit: Clethrionojnys gapperi ungava, Ungava red-backed mouse; and Phenacomys ungava ungava, Ungava spruce mouse. The former ranges down through the adjacent timber to the shores of Lac Aulneau. Both mice represent different subspecies from their representatives in the Attikamagen Lake area and south- ward. The food available to them probably includes the seeds or fruit of Betula glandulosa, Empetrum, Vaccinium spp., and Arcto- staphylos. The mice in turn probably contribute to the food supply of the Rough-legged Hawk. By way of comparison with the Barrens on this western ridge, a few notes may be added concerning a sort of alpine area on a cliff that rises to a height of about 250 feet above the eastern shore of Lac Aulneau, opposite the geological camp. A brief visit to its upper part on July 25 revealed the following plants: Shruhs Rhododendron lapponicum Lapland rosebay Arctostaphylos alpina Alpine bearberry Salix sp. (prostrate) A willow Juniperus communis Common juniper Ground Plants {vascular) Carex bigehwii Bigelow's sedge Dnjas integrifolia Mountain avens Saxifraga ?aizoon White mountain? saxifrage Astragalus eucosmus Elegant milk-vetch Astragalus alpinus Alpine milk-vetch Arnica plantaginea Arnica These are of interest in that a majority of them appear to have al- pine (and calcareous) affinities, although the spot is probably more than 100 feet below the tree-line on the western side of the lake; fm*- thermore, fair-sized trees grow on the slopes above and behind the cliff. But the absence of trees on the rock surface has evidently given the alpine species a chance to develop there. I found no Astragalus elsewhere in Ungava, and Hustich (1951Z?) reports none from the Knob Lake area. Both species (A. alpinus and A. eucosmus) have been recorded along the Larch and Koksoak rivers ( Dutilly and Lepage, 1950:174 and 1951:58; Dutilly, Lepage, and Duman, 1953:76-77), and on the northeastern coast of Labrador (Abbe, 1936:155). A pair of Labrador Homed Owls ( Buho virginianus heterocnemis) was reported nesting on the chff. A Labrador Jay {Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus) and a Northern Shrike {Lanius excubitor borealis ) were noted there. 12 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Sunny Mountain This mountain is situated 22 miles northwest of Knob Lake ( Na- tional Topographic Series, Boundary Lake sheet, east half). The tree-line is reached at about 1900 feet on the southeastern side. An area bounded on three sides by the 2000-foot contour, and on the northwest by the saddle (about 2400 feet) between Sunny and Geren's mountains, is about 1.5 miles in length and nearly 1 mile in width. The longer axis lies NW-SE. The surface of the ground becomes increasingly rocky, and the vascular flora increasingly scanty, toward tiie summit. The Barrens that cover the liigher slopes (Harper, 1958: pi. 2, fig. 1) stretch away to the northwest, across a depression, to Geren's Mountain ( 2821 feet) at a distance of 2 miles. A feature of particular interest is a more or less perennial snow- bank occupying a rocky, eastward-facing ravine on the southeastern flank of the mountain ( fig. 2 ) , at an altitude of some 2000 feet. In August, 1953, the snowbank was roughly 200 feet in length, with a maximum viddth of about 100 feet; its surface descended perhaps 30 feet between the upper and the lower margins. The surface was marked with innumerable spoon-shaped depressions, each a foot or more in length. Dust from the disintegrating sides of the ravine gave a reddish tinge to much of the snow surface. A narrow marginal portion of the snowbank on each side had been transformed into ice, as an indication of its more or less perennial nature. Several rivulets ran down its surface and collected in an icy pool at the base. A small stream meandered from this pool through the lower portion of the ravine for some rods before it disappeared by seeping into the ground. During the warm season of 1955 the snowbank all but disappeared, as I have been informed by H. E. Neal. Each winter the ravine is doubtless refilled with snow blown across the mountain by prevailing westerly winds (c/. Thomas, 1953:99, chart 3-11). If die icy portion of the snowbank should prove to be perennial, it may perhaps deprive "an extensive neve at . . . 2500 feet" near Mugford Tickle, between Okak and Hebron, of the distinction of being "the southernmost perennial ice mass in Labrador" (Odell, 1933:200). (This depends, however, on the possibility of amplify- ing the meaning of "Labrador," as used here, to include the entire peninsula. ) The coolness and the moisture provided by this huge snowbank doubtless account for an exceptional variety of Arctic plants occu- pying the lower portion of the ravine and the adjacent slopes. The conditions here do not exactly accord with Tanner's statement ( 1947, PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCL\TIOXS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 13 1:346) that the "snow valleys" or "snow-bank bottoms" have a scanty flora. The 22 species of vascular plants in the following Hst that are preceded by an asterisk were not collected by myself, dm-ing four montlis of botanical browsing, at any other locality in Ungava than Sunny Mountain, and for the most part only in the fascinating "alpine garden" in tlie immediate vicinity of the snowbank. Practically all are of distinctly Arctic affinities. AU but five of these species, how- ever, were collected by Hustich in the general Knob Lake area, as reported by Porsild ( 1951 ). These five are: Carex williumsii, Oxyria digyna, Stellaria crassipes, Cardamine hellidifolia, and Gnaphaliurn norvegicum. There is a general similarity between the vascular flora of Sunny Mountain and that of Irony Mountain, about 11 miles to the southward {cf. Hustich, 1951i>: 199-200). Three mosses and five lichens, hkewise indicated by an asterisk, were collected by myself only on Sunny Mountain, and for the most part only in the vicinity of the snowbank; but there is perhaps little significance in this fact. The following Hst, based upon four visits (August 10-15), con- tains more plant species (nearly 90) than that for any other local habitat discussed in the present paper. Trees Picea sp. (stunted) *Salix herhacea Shrubs Phyllodoce caerulea Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinwn Betula glandulosa Empetrum nigrum Rhododendron lapponicum Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus Salix vestita Arctostaphylos alpina Alnus crispa Salix cordifolia var. callicarpaea Spruce Dwarf willow Purple heath Alpine bilberry Dwarf birch Crowberry Lapland rosebay Mountain cranberry Hairy willow Alpine bearberry Green alder Broad-leaved willow Ground Plants (vascular) Scirpus caespitosus var. austriacus *Luzula confusa * Hierochloe alpina Carex bigelowii Poa alpina Calamagrostis canadensis * Carex lachenalii Solidago multiradiata *Sibbaldia procumhens Polygonum viviparum Tofieldia pusilla Lycopodium alpinum Tufted bulrush Northern wood-rush Alpine holy-grass Bigelow's sedge Alpine meadow-grass Blue-joint grass Arctic hare's-foot sedge Northern goldenrod Sibbaldia Alpine bistort False asphodel Alpine club-moss 14 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. 'Oxyria digijna Mountain sorrel Parnassia kotzebuei Kotzebue's grass-of-Pamassus Habcnarm dilatata Leafy white orcliis Dnjas integrifolia Mountain avens Pyrola grandiflora Large-flowered wintergreen Poa glauca Glaucous meadow-grass Deschampsia flexuosa Common hairgrass Viola (idunca var. minor Sand violet Castilleja septentrionalis Northern painted-cup Achillea nigrescens Yarrow Bartsia alpina Alpine Bartsia *Carex terrae-novae Newfoundland sedge *Carex scirpoidea Scirpoid sedge Diapensia lapponica Diapensia Anemone parviflora Northern anemone Dryopteris spinulosa var. americarm Spinulose wood-fern *Cassiope hypnoides White heather *Cerastium alpinum Alpine chickweed Taraxacum lapponicum, Lapland dandelion Saxifraga aizoon White mountain saxifrage Cystopteris montana Mountain bladder-fern Veronica alpina var. unalaschcensis Alpine speedwell Trisetum spicatum Spiked Trisetum *Arenaria humifusa -„ Low sandwort *Carex williamsii Williams' sedge Dryopteris disjuncta Oak fern * Ranunculus allenii Allen's buttercup *Arenaria sajanensis Siberian sandwort Epilohium anagallidifolium Pimpernel-leaved willow-herb Luzula parviflora Small-flowered wood-rush *Stellaria longipes — Long-stalked chickweed *SteUaria calycantha Northern chickweed *Stellaria crassipes A chickweed Viola renifolia var. brainerdii Kidney-leaved violet Pedicularis groenlandica Greenland lousewort *Gnaphalium norvegicum Norwegian cudweed * Gnaphalium supinum Alpine cudweed Coptis groenlandica Goldthread Lycopodium selago Mountain club-moss Arabis alpina Alpine rock-cress *}uncus trifidus Three-forked rush Heracleum maximum Cow-parsnip *Senecio pauciflorus Few-headed ragwort *Cardamine bellidifolia — Alpine bitter-cress Mosses Rhacomitrium hinuginosum, *Polytrichum piliferum Hair-cap moss Polytrichum jiiniperinum Hair-cap moss *Brachythecium albicans Dicratwtveisia crispula Dicranum elongatum *Pohlia drummondii Campylium stellatum Drepanocladus uncinatus Pleurozium schreberi Feather-moss Hepatics Preissia quadrata PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 15 Lichens Cladonia alpestris Caribou lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum Parmelia centrifuga Alectoria ochroleuca Cladonia lepidota Caribou lichen *Lecidea magnussoni *Lecidea ramulosa *Lecidea vorticosa *Lecanora pohjtropa var. alpigena f. acrustacea "Lecanora gelida These notes may be compared with those by Tanner ( 1947, 1:341- 359) on the vegetation of various areas of mountain tundra on the northern coast of Labrador. The only mammal obtained here was the Labrador v^arying lem- ming (Dicrostonyx hudsonius) ; a weathered skull, some nests, and numerous scats suggested the presence of a fair number of this species in the vicinity of the snowbank. Another individual was taken on near-by Geren's Mountain. A fragmentary old antler of the east- ern woodland caribou (Rangifer caribou caribou) and scats of the American black bear {Euarctos americanus americanus) and of the eastern Canada porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum) were the only definite additional signs of mammals that came under my observation. The last were in an ice cavity at the head of the snow- bank. Cabot's caribou ( Rangifer caboti), found on Geren's Mountain in June, 1957, by Roland C. Clement (Harper, 1961fl:132, pi. 8, fig. 1), must inevitably occur on Sunny Mountain as well. Birds of the following species, in small numbers, were noted in the alpine area: Anthus rtibescens ruhescens American Pipit Eremophihi alpestris alpestris Northern Homed Lark Lanius excubitor horealis Northern Shrike Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus Labrador Jay In all probability the Pipit and the Homed Lark, as characteristic species of the Barren Grounds, breed in this area, and the shrike may do so at or near the tree-line. The single Labrador Jay was merely flying past the alpine garden. A Rock Ptarmigan (Lagoptis mutus rupestris) was taken on Geren's Mountain on August 15, thus fur- nishing one of the extremely few summer records of this species in a forest-surrounded Arctic-alpine area of the interior of the Ungava Peninsula. It is greatly to be hoped that the extraordinarily interesting snow- bank and the adjacent alpine garden on Sunny Mountain will be preserved intact in any future mining operations in die area. 16 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Ruth Lake Ridge This ridge extends in a NW-SE direction on the northeastern side of Ruth Lake ( National Topographic Series, Knob Lake sheet, west half). Those parts above the 2100-foot contour are about 4 miles in length and half a mile in width. Erratic boulders are perched here and there. Several tarns occupy depressions on these heights. Along the steep eastern side of the ridge the tree-line occurs at varying heights, from about 2000 to 2100 feet, but on the gradual slopes of the western side it can be much less definitely traced. An interesting feature on the eastern slope is the sharp line of demarcation between the timber and the Barrens. Here, contrary to the ordinarily gradual transition from one zone to another, a mod- erately thick stand of spruces (about 40 feet in height) reaches an abrupt limit and is succeeded immediately by treeless Barrens. An explanation is perhaps to be found in the vast amounts of snow that are driven across the summit of the ridge by the predominantly westerly winds of winter (Thomas, 1953:99, chart 3-11). In accumu- lating to a very considerable depth on the steep eastern slope and against the forest buttress, and in so remaining until well along in June, the snow cover may be effective in preventing the growth of tree seedHngs just outside the forest. At considerably higher points on the western side of the ridge there is a sparse and scrubby growth of spruce. A few hours of investigation on June 6 and 13 and October 5 ( before and after the main flowering season ) resulted in the follow- ing list of the vegetation ( which is particularly incomplete as to the vascular ground plants ) : Trees Picea glauca ( stunted ) White spnice Picea mariana ( stunted ) Black spruce Shrubs Betula glandulosa Dwarf birch Loiseleuria procumbens Alpine azalea Arctostaphijlos alpina Alpine bearberry Vaccitiium vitis-idaea var. minus Mountain cranberry Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Phyllodoce caerulea Purple heath Empetrum nigrum Crowberry Ledum grocnlandicum Common Labrador tea Salix uva-ursi Bearberry willow PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 17 Ground Plants (vascular) Diapensia lapponica Diapensia Ltjcopodium annotinum var. pungens Bristly club-moss Areruiria groenlandica Greenland sandwort Jtincus filiformis Thread rush Carex saxatilis var. miliaris Rock sedge Lycopodium selago Mountain club-moss Mosses Ceratodon purpureus Tortella fragilis Tortella tortuosa Hypnum hamulosum Lichens Caribou lichen Caribou lichen Caribou lichen Cladonia alpestris Stereocauhn fastigiatum Cladonia mitis Alectoria ochroleuca Alectoria implcxa Cladonia rangiferina . Parnielia encansta Rfiizocarpon microsportim Mycohlastus sanguinarius Xanthoria candelaria Lecidea paupercula Alectoria ochroleuca is evidently a characteristic lichen of the Arctic-alpine areas in the interior of the peninsula; I found it only in such habitats. Two miles east of Ruth Lake Ridge, it appeared on the rather bare summit of the "knob" that gi\es its name to Knob Lake. Here the tree-line comes close to the summit, which has an elevation of approximately 1825 feet — nearly 200 feet below the tree- line on the comparatively sheltered eastern side of Ruth Lake Ridge, This is reminiscent of tlie situation on three adjacent peaks in the Adirondacks (Mounts Marcy, MacInt\Te, and Wright), where the tree-line occurs at progressively lower altitudes as the peaks decrease in height. In the latter case it has been suggested that wind may be "a more important factor than exact altitude or temperature in limit- ing tree growth" (Harper and Harper, 1929:22). Tliis may be at least a partial explanation of the difference in altitude of the tree-line on Ruth Lake Ridge and on the "knob" near Knob Lake. For summits of limited extent, in comparison with points at the same elevation on the sides of larger and higher mountains, are exposed to winds from all directions. The occurrence of the dung-loving or "ornithocoprophilous" li- chen, Xanthoria candelaria, on a prominent boulder was doubtless the result of the use of this boulder as a perch by hawks and owls ( cf. Harper, 1953:8). 18 UNIVEESITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Numerous microtine tracks (perhaps chiefly of the Labrador varying lemming, Dicrostonyx hudsonius) appeared in the snow on October 5. Tracks of Labrador red foxes ( Vulpes fulva hangsi ) were evident on the same date. A pair of Nortliern Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris alpestris) were seen on June 6, and an Eastern White-crowned Sparrow ( Zono- trichia nigrilora) and an Eastern Tree Sparrow {Spizella arborea arhorea) on June 13. These were doubtless on or near their nesting grounds. On October 5 two coveys of Ungava Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus ungavus) were found on the summit, and a Lab- rador Jay (Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus) at tree-hne. The Ptarmigan may have migrated from some more northerly locality. Lorraine Mountain This mountain, unnamed on the Ashuanipi sheet ( National Topo- graphic Series ) , lies about 2 miles west of Wabush Lake. Its summit, at 2955 feet, is the highest point I reached on the peninsula. Its roughly cone-shaped upper slopes, rising about 400 feet above the tree-line, occupy probably several hundred acres. There are small spurs on the southern and northwestern sides, a tarn and a sedge bog of several acres on the northeastern slope, and a scrubby thicket of balsam and spruce about 300 feet below the summit on the eastern slope. On the southwestern side, by which I ascended, there is a tree-hne transition zone consisting of thickets of alder and scrubby spruce, which I do not include in the Arctic-alpine area. My investi- gations were limited to a period of five or six hours on September 11. In the following list of plants that were collected or observed, those species with a prefixed asterisk are ones that I did not happen to find in the more northerly Arctic-alpine areas, although that may have been a matter of chance and of little significance in some of the cases. Trees Picea glauca (stunted) White spruce * Abies balsamea (stunted) Balsam fir Shrubs Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum „ Alpine bilberry Arctostaphylos alpina Alpine bearberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. mimis Mountain cranberry Empetrum nigrum Crowberry Betula glandulosa Dwarf birch Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Phyllodoce caerulea Purple heath Saiix sp. ..._ A willow PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 19 Ground Plants (vascular) Lycopodium alpinum. Alpine club-moss *Carex paupercula Bog sedge Corniis canadensis . Bunchberry Carex bigelowii Bigelow's sedge Diapensia lapponica Diapensia Luzula parviflora Small-flowered wood-rush Lycopodium annotinum var. pungens Bristly club-moss Trientalis borealis Star-flower Lycopodium chivatum var, monostachyon Running clul>moss *Agrostis borealis Northern bent-grass Rubus chamaemorus Baked-apple berry *Clintonis borealis Yellow Clintonia Solidago sp. Goldenrod Epilobium angustifolium Fireweed Coptis groenlandica Goldthread Lycopodium selago Momitain club-moss *Veratrum viride White hellebore 'Carex arctogena A sedge Dryopteris spinulosa var. americana Spinulose shield-fern Lichens Cladonia alpestris Caribou lichen Stereocaulon fastigiatum Alectoria ochroleuca *Caloplaca elegaiis Carex paupercula, apparently the predominant plant of the sedge bog, was not noted on drier ground. Lorraine Mountain is perhaps the northernmost known station in the upper Hamilton Basin for Clintonia and Veratrum. Caloplaca elegaiis, as one of the "omitlioco- prophilous" lichens, occurred characteristically on a boulder which tops the southern spur of the mountain and doubtless serves as a more or less habitual perch for birds of prey ( of. remark on Xanthoria, p. 17). There were microtine scats among rocks of the upper slopes and runways of Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus among the Carex pau- percula of the sedge bog. Tracks of the eastern woodland caribou (Rangifer caribou caribou) were in evidence about the tarn. A flock of about 40 Northern Horned Larks ( Eremophila alpestris alpestris ) and one of half a dozen American Pipits ( Atithus nibescens rubescens) were met with on the upper slopes. Several Eastern Tree Sparrows (Spizella arborea arborea), an Eastern White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia nigrilora), and a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) were found in the thicket of balsam and spruce. Droppings and feathers of the Canada Goose ( Branta cana- densis subsp. ) were noted at the tarn. Quite possibly aU of these birds breed on Lorraine Mountain, but some of them may have been 20 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. merely on migration from farther north at this date. For the five smaller bird species this is probably one of the highest altitudinal records in the peninsula. Forested Areas Closed-crown Forest at Lac Aulneau The "closed-crown forest," while constituting the predominant type of vegetation in the Canadian Life-zone of the Ungava Penin- sula, is not restricted to that zone. Hare ( 1959: map 1 ) shows patches of it scattered through much of the Hudsonian Life-zone, even as far as the shores of Ungava Bay. Hare's more recent term (1959), "closed-crown forest," seems preferable to the earlier "close-forest" (Hare, 1950:625; Abbe, 1955:15; Rowe, 1959:10). Lac Aulneau ( National Topographic Series, Fort McKenzie sheet) Lies close to the boundary between the Ungava Forest-Tundra Section and the Koksoak Forest-Tundra Section of Hustich (1949fl: 40-41, fig. 3). This locality, however, is far from conforming to Hustich's description (p. 41 ) of the first-mentioned section: "The forest occurs only in patches and the whole area is dominated by barren-ground with characteristic plant and animal life." On the contrary, the im- mediate vicinity of the lake is dominated by forest, and the isolated patches of Barren Grounds occur chiefly above the tree-line, which is located at an altitude about 400 feet above the lake. The Koksoak forest-tundra is credited with richer vegetation than that of the Un- gava forest-tundra, and it is said to include balsam fir, balsam poplar, and white birch. I found none of these trees at Lac Aulneau. As far as I am aware, there is no published report on the general vegeta- tion of an area nearer than the valley of the Larch and Koksoak rivers and the lowermost course of the Kaniapiskau, lying 45-50 miles to the northwest (cf. Dutilly, Lepage, and Duman, 1953). There is, however, Hare's photo-reconnaissance survey (1959: map 1), which seems to furnish some evidence in support of Hustich's view. Never- theless, I am inclined to defer acceptance of that view pending a terrestrial investigation of the biota of the general area between the lower Kaniapiskau and the lower Whale rivers. During my stay from July 22 to August 2, field work was severely hampered by seven days of rain. Thus it cannot be considered that the following list of plants represents more than a small fraction of the vegetation. The geological camp whose hospitality I enjoyed is situated on the west side of the lake, about 4 miles from the south end. In its gen- PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCL\.TIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 21 eral vicinity (but not including the knoll on which the camp is situated) the vegetation appears to be predominantly of the closed- crown forest type {cf. Hare, 1950:622, and 1959; Dansereau, 1955: 85 ) . The following list pertains to this type in a limited area on both sides of the lake: Picea glatica _ Larix Laricina Alnus crispa Salix spp. Trees Shrubs — White spruce — Tamarack Green alder Willows Dwarf birch Bettiki glundulosa Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Juniperus communis Common juniper Ground Plants (vascular) Cornus canadensis Mitella nuda Moneses ttniflora Bunchberry Northern miterwort One-flowered wintergreen Ptjrola secunda var. obtusata Nodding wintergreen Cystopteris montana Lycopodium comphinatum Equisetum sp. Coptis groenlandica Listera cordata Hypntim crista-castrensis Cladonia lepidota ... Parmelia encausta Baeomyces roseus Mosses Lichens Mountain bladder-fern Traihng club-moss Horsetail Goldthread Heartleaf twayblade Feather-moss Caribou lichen The white spruces, which appear to be several times as numerous as the tamaracks, attain a height of probably at least 40 feet. Mammals Clethrionomys gapperi ungava Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis Lepus americanus americanus Birds Perisoretis canadensis nigricapillus Zonotrichia nigrilora Passerella iliaca iliaca Parus hudsonicus hudsonicus Regulus calendula calendula Hylocichla minima minima ... Ungava red-backed mouse Ungava red squirrel American snowshoe rabbit Labrador Jay Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Eastern Fox Sparrow Hudsonian Chickadee Eastern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush 22 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. The garbage pit in the woods at a Httle distance from the camp kitchen attracted red squirrels, Labrador Jays, and probably others among the mammals and birds. Aside from a different subspecies of Clethrionomys, the verte- brates found in the closed-crown forest at Lac Aulneau show no taxonomic differentiation from those in similar habitats at Attikam- agen Lake and elsewhere in the upper Hamilton River basin. Closed-crown Forest at Attikamagen Lake The period from July 1 to 14 was spent at the Iron Arm of Atti- kamagen Lake, and that from July 15 to 22 at the Northwest Bay of this lake (National Topographic Series, Knob Lake sheet, east half). The vegetation in both localities consists largely of closed- crown forest. The other principal local terrestrial habitats are Barrens above the tree-line (west side of the Iron Arm), lichen woodland, muskegs, and more or less open bogs of mosses and sedges. The whole environment in 1953 appeared to be a virgin wilderness, ex- cept for a few camp spots that had been cleared somewhat by Montagnais Indians and prospecting parties. In no other wooded part of Ungava did I find such a veritable wild-flower garden, springing out of a thick, soft carpet of mosses and hchens on the forest floor, over which one passes with a noiseless tread. With the exception of the rocky lake and stream shores and certain rocky or gravelly areas above the tree-line, practically no bare ground is vis- ible anywhere. The closed-crown forest generally occupies higher and less level ground than the muskegs. It extends from tlie lake edge at 1536 feet to the tree-line at about 1850-1900 feet. The white spruces attain a height of 60-70 feet and a diameter of probably 20 inches or more. These, with the black spruces, balsam firs, and tamaracks, stand suf- ficiently close together to provide a fairly dense shade. Such an en- vironment seemed to provide a congenial haunt for the Olive-backed Thrush, at the highest latitude (54°56' N. ) from which the species is kno\vn in the peninsula. Some of the species in the hsts below may not be typical of the local closed-crown forest as a whole. Within this habitat the follow- ing were found only in damp, mossy woods of spruce, willow, and alder along a rocky brook that discharges the waters of Lac Sans Chef into a cove on the west side of Northwest Bay; here the conditions may very slightly approach those of a muskeg. Vascular plants: Dryopteris disjuncta, D. phegopteris, and Athyrium. Mosses: Mnium, PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCTATIOXS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 23 Paludella, Calliergon, and Hylocomium pyrenaicum. Lichens : Alec- toria sarmentosa and Usnea. Mammals: Syruiptomys and Phena- comys. Moreover, of balsam poplar I found only a small stand along a brook entering the Iron Arm at its northwestern end. The plants of the closed-crown forest at Attikamagen Lake include the following: Trees Picea glauca Picea mariana Abies halsamea Larix laricina Populus balsamifera Shrubs Salix planifolia Ledum groenlandicum Salix vestita Vaccinium uliginoswn var. alpinum Alnus crispa Vaccinium xHtis-idaea var. Empetrum, nigrum, Betula glandulosa Viburnum, edule Ribes glandulosum Amelanchier bartramiana _ mtrvus White spruce Black spruce Balsam fir Tamarack Balsam poplar Flat-leaved willow Common Labrador tea Hairy willow Alpine bilberry Green alder Mountain cranberry Crowberry Dwarf birch Mooseberry Skunk currant Mountain shadbush Ground Plants (vascular) Cornus canadensis Bunchberry Carex vaginata Sheathed sedge Equisetum sylvaticum Wood horsetail Lycopodium annotinum Bristly club-moss Coptis grocnlandica Goldthread Rubus acaulis Dwarf raspberry Geocaulon lividum Northern Comandra Trientalis borealis Star-flower Mitella nuda Northern miterwort Equisetum pratense Meadow horsetail Petasites sp. Sweet coltsfoot Lintmea borealis var. americana Twinflower Athyrium filix-femina var. laurentianum Lady-fern Moneses uniflora One-flowered wintergreen Habenaria dilatata Leafy white orchis Viola axlunca var. minor Sand violet Heracleum maximum Cow parsnip Streptopus amplexifolius var. americanus Twisted-stalk Rubus chamaemorus Baked-apple berry Habenaria obtusata Blunt-leaf orchis Cystopteris montana Mountain bladder-fern Gaultheria hispidula Creeping snowberry Dryopteris disjuncta Oak fern Dryopteris phegopteris Long beech-fern 24 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Mosses Pleurozium schreberi Feather-moss Sphagnum sp Sphagnum moss Hypnum crista-castrensis Feather-moss Calliergon stramineum Hylocomium splendens Feather-moss Mnium punctatum Dicranum fuscescens Dicranum bergeri Paludella squarrosa Hylocomium pyrenaicum Feather-moss Lichens Alectoria implexa Parmelia encausta Cladonia gracilis var. chordalis Caribou Uchen Cladonia tnitis Caribou hchen Cladonia alpestris Caribou hchen Cetraria pinastri Usnea cavernosa Beard hchen Cladonia fimbriata Caribou hchen Cladonia turgida Caribou hchen Cladonia gonecha Caribou hchen Cladonia cenotea f. crossota Caribou hchen Parmelia incurva var. radians Alectoria sarmentosa The mammals of this habitat include the following: Clethrionomys gapperi proteus Labrador red-backed mouse Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus Hamihon Inlet meadow mouse Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis Ungava red squirrel Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum Eastern Canada porcupine Lepus americanus americanus American snowshoe rabbit Sijnaptomys borealis medioximus Labrador lemming mouse Phenacomys ungava crassus Labrador spruce mouse Marmota monax ignava Labrador woodchuck Euarctos americanus americanus American black bear The plant life of this habitat furnishes the above-mentioned mam- mals with much or even ( in some cases ) all of their food: for example, bark of the conifers for the porcupine (cf. Hustich,, 1951fo:178); cones of the spruces for the red squirrel; berries of the Ericaceae and probably fruit of Betula, Viburnum, Ribes, and Amelanchier for the mice and at least part of these for the red squirrel and the black bear; probably bark of Ledum for the red-backed mouse; and probably certain lichens and mosses for the red-backed and lemming mice. {Cf. Harper, V^l: passim.) The closed-crown forest about Attikamagen Lake furnishes one more illustration of the paucity of bird life in fairly dense timber, especially in northern regions. Only the following species were definitely recorded in this habitat: PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 25 Birds Regulus calendula calendula Eastern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni Olive-backed Thrush Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus Labrador Jay Seiurus noveboracensis Northern Water-thrush Junco hyemalis hyeinalis Slate-colored Junco Dendroica coronata coronata Eastern Myrtle Warbler Zonotrichia nigrilora Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Hylocichla minima minima Gray-cheeked Thrush Passerella iliaca iliaca Eastern Fox Sparrow A Ruby-crowned Kinglet utilized a white spruce as a nest-tree. Other birds noted in near-by habitats ( some of them quite possibly or probably occurring also in the closed-crown forest) were: Turdus migratorius nigrideus Black-backed Robin Parus hudsonicus hudsonicus Hudsonian Chickadee Picoides tridactylus hacatus American Three-toed Wood- pecker Acanthis linaria linaria Common Redpoll Pinicola enucleator escliatosus Newfoimdland Pine Grosbeak Spizella arhorea arhorea Eastern Tree Sparrow Dendroica striata Blackpoll Warbler Canachites canadensis canadensis Hudsonian Spruce Grouse Falco columharius columharius Eastern Pigeon Hawk Closed-crown Forest at Ashuanipi Lake Forests of this type (fig. 3; also Harper, 1961 :pl. 2, fig. 1) occur extensively about the north end of the lake and along its outlet, the Ashuanipi River (National Topographic Series, Ashuanipi sheet). An island about 4 miles from the north end of the lake furnished another fine example of a closed-crown forest. Forests of a more open type, such as lichen woodlands, were scarcely noticed in any local areas that had not been disturbed. The populous settlement, with numerous habitations and industrial buildings, that had sprung up about Mile 224 Airstrip, 2 miles north of the lake, had naturally disturbed the original fauna and flora over a considerable area. The terrain in the immediate vicinity is gently rolling, with differences in altitude of little more tlian 50 or 60 feet ( say from 1740 to 1800 feet ) . Rock exposures do not appear frequent except along the shores of the lake and the river ( fig. 3 ) . A small proportion of the local plants, with southerly affinities, were not found at Knob Lake or other points visited in higher lat- itudes; but most of these occur in habitats other than the closed- crown forest, and so do not appear in the following list. My records were seciu-ed from August 22 to September 8, and from September 18 to 21. 26 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PXJBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Trees Abies halsamea Balsam fir Ficea muriana Black spruce Picea glauca White spruce Larix laricina Tamarack Shruhs Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Betula glandulosa Dwarf birch Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolixmi Low sweet blueberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus Mountain cranberry Viburnum edule Mooseberry Ground Plants (vascular) Rubus chamaemorus Baked-apple berry Cornus canadensis Bunchberry Equisetum sylvaticum Wood horsetail Dryopteris phegopteris Long beech-fern Linnaea borealis var. americana Twin-flower Gaultheria hispidula Creeping snowberry Mosses Pleurozium schreberi Feather-moss Hypnuni crista-castrensis Feather-moss Sphagnum sp. Sphagnum moss Pohjtrichum sp. Hair-cap moss Dicranum fuscescens Ptilidium pulcherrimum Lophoziu longidens Lophozia silvicola Hepatics Lichens Usnea dasypoga Beard lichen Usnea longissima var. tenuis Beard lichen Cladonia coniocraea Caribou lichen Cladonia conista Caribou lichen Parmelia physodes Cctraria pinastri Cladonia cenotea f. crossota Caribou lichen Cladonia deformis Caribou lichen Cladonia digitata Caribou lichen Nephroma arcticum Here the balsam fir becomes very nearly or quite the most abun- dant tree, whereas at Attikamagen Lake it stands only third or fourth on the list, and at Lac Aulneau it was not noted at all. In its general distribution it is less northerly than the other local conifers. The denseness of these forests is evidently unfavorable for the develop- ment of shrubs and vascular ground plants (compare the lists for Attikamagen Lake ) . Consequently these "moss-rich" forests yielded PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 27 a larger number of cryptogams than of vascular plants. Hustich ( 1954:29; also personal communication) regards these as old forests, with the feather-mosses predominant. Mammals recorded Clethrionomys gapperi proteus Labrador red-backed mouse Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis Ungava red squirrel Lepus americanus americanus American snowshoe rabbit Additional species of mammals reported by other persons in the vicinity, and doubtless occurring in the closed-cro^vn forests, in- cluded: Labrador flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrimis mukkovi- kensis), eastern Canada porcupine {Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum), Labrador red f o.x ( Vulpes fulva bangsi ) , little brown bat ( Mijotis lucifugus lucifugiis), eastern woodland caribou (Rangifer caribou caribou), and Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis canadensis). A species so fitted to an environment of mosses and lichens as the red-backed mouse is, naturally flourishes in the closed-crown forests of the Ashuanipi area, where the ground is covered with an excep- tionally luxuriant growth of these plants. The red squirrel finds a perennial food supply in the cones of the spruces. The porcupine's taste for the bark of balsam and spruce is amply gratified here. The snowshoe rabbit and its predator, the lynx, probably find the dense shade congenial. But such a dense forest of conifers is not attractive to many birds. The only species rather definitely recorded locally in this habitat were the Hudsonian Spruce Grouse (Canachites canadensis cana- densis) and the Eastern Myrtle Warbler {Dendroica coronata coro- nata). Others noted or reported in the vicinity, and probably occurring in the closed-crown forest, were: Labrador Jay ( Perisoreus canadensis nigricapilhis) , Hudsonian Chickadee {Pariis hudsonicus hudsonicus), American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridac- tylus bacatus), and Labrador Homed Owl {Bubo virginianus heter- ocnemis ) . Forest at Carol Lake This small lake ( lat. 53°04' N., long. 66°58' W. ) lies in the extreme western part of Labrador, 4 miles west of Wabush Lake ( National Topographic Series, Ashuanipi sheet). Its altitude is estimated at 2000 feet. My stay here extended from September 8 to 18. The forest about its north end seems to be largely a closed-crown forest, but there is also a fair expanse of open lichen woodland (fig. 4). In addition, there are wooded areas of intermediate char- 28 UNIVEBSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. acter, and some that can scarcely be classified as either type. The terrain to which I paid particular attention varied in altitude from the lake shore to the upper part of a ridge rising some 300 feet on the east. Since my field records did not always clearly differentiate the two principal types of this forest, I have endeavored to cover both in the following single account. At the same time, if the record is clear enough, I indicate, in the lists of species, occurrence in the closed- crown forests by the letter symbols ( cf ) and occurrence in the lichen woodland by ( Iw ) . The use of a single set of these symbols after a name does not necessarily imply non-occurrence of that species in the other type of habitat, but simply incompleteness of the records. The predominant arboreal growth, consisting of white spruces and black spruces, perhaps attains a somewhat larger size here than in some of the more nordierly localities. Some of the plants included in the following list as components of the closed-crown forest are probably not of general distribution in it, but may be more or less restricted to boggy, mossy spots of limited extent within it. To this category may belong Veratum viride, Habenaria dilatata, and Se- necio pauperculus. Trees Picea ghuca (cfi, Iw^) White spruce Picea mariana ( cf , Iw ) Black spruce Larix laricina ( cf , Iw ) Tamarack Abies balsamea ( cf ) Balsam fir Betula papyrifera (cf) Canoe birch Shrubs Betula glandulosa ( cf , Iw ) Dwarf birch Ledum groenlandicum (cf, Iw) Common Labrador tea Salix vestita (cf) Hairy willow Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum ( cf ) Alpine bilberry Empetrum nigrum ( cf, Iw ) Crowberry Vaccinium. vitis-idaea var. minus ( cf ) Mountain cranberry Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium (Iw) __ Low sweet blueberry Salix humilis ( Iw ) Small pussy-willow Lonicera villosa ( Iw ) Mountain fly-honeysuckle Salix pellita ( Iw ) A willow Junipertis communis (cf) Common juniper Viburnum edule (cf) Mooseberry Ground Plants (vascular) Carex vaginata ( cf ) Sheathed sedge Carex leptalea (cf) Bristle-stalked sedge Cornus canadensis (cf, Iw) Bunchberry 1 Closed forest. 2 Lichen woodland. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 29 h l^t. .1. *i.- ■;■: n Vk.. 1. — Westrin side of Lde Auliiiau, Quehct. In ttjit j;iuuik1. ymluuical eaiiip in lichen woodland-, on horizon, Arctic-alpine area on lUOO-foot ridge. Aiiuust 1. 1953. ''^V-Ssr^ .^i- '^., w. ■V '•ism^- m ^^. Fig. 2. — Perennial snow l)aiik in eastward-facing ra\ine on Sunn> Mountain, Quebec, at approximately 2000 feet. "Alpine garden" in foreground. August 10, 1953. 30 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBI.S., MUS. NAT. HIST. -■•V \' *^ < ■" '-C ',t-* P"iG. 3. — Exterior view of closed-crown forest on west side of Ashnanipi River, .5 miles north of Asluuuiipi Lake, Labrador. September 4, 1953. 1. Fk;. 4. — Lichen woodland at Carol Lake, Lalirador. \'e,u;etation chiefh ricea JiKiriatta and ChuUmid alpcstris; also inclndiny Laiix l/niriiid. Ledum <;i(Knlaud- ictitn, Enipctriun nigrum, Cornus cauddcn^is, Vaccinitni) (ingiistifoliinii var. hicrifoliiini, and Picuroziiini schrchcri. September 16, 1953. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UXGAVA PENINSULA 31 ^i .: -v. _.-! k Fig. 5. — Burnt tract on northwest side of Knob Lake, Quebec, se\en years atter tlie burning. Aujz;nst 6, 19.53. <'<^-:. :^ >V M 32 UNI\"ERSTT^ OF KANSAS Pl^BLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Fig. 6. — Area about the north end of Carol Lake, Lalirador, about 3x3 miles in extent. An arrow indicates the location of the small string bog investigated near the northwest corner of the lake: a cross, the summit of Lorraine Mountain. A vertical photograph from an altitude of 18.000 f(>et abo\e sea level, Jul>-, 1949. (Courtesy of Royal Canadian Air Force. ) Fig. 7. — String bog near the northwest corner of Carol Lake, Labrador. Sep- lembcr 10. 19.53. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCL\TIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 33 Epilobium angustifolium (cf, Iw) _ Descliampsia flexuosa ( Iw ) Calamagrostis canadensis ( cf , Iw ) Petasites palmatus ( cf ) - . Dryopteris disjuncta ( cf ) Moneses uniflora (cf) Lycopodium annotinum var. pungens ( Iw ) Veratrum viride (cf) Clintonia borealis (cf) Mitella nuda (cf) Lycopodium complanatum (cf) Linnaea borealis var. americana (cf) Habenaria dilatata (cf) Pyrola secunda var. obtusata (cf ) Senecio pauperculus (cf) Solidugo sp. (cf) Coptis groenlandica (cf) Mosses Pleurozium schreberi ( cf , Iw ) Sphagnum sp. (cf) Polytrichum spp. (Iw) Hypnum crista-castrensis (cf) Drepanocladus uncinatus (cf) Cladonia alpestris ( Iw ) Alectoria implexa (Iw) Fireweed Common hairgrass Blue-joint grass Palmate sweet coltsfoot Oak fern One-flowered wintergreen Bristly club-moss White hellebore Yellow Clintonia Northern miterwort Trailing club-moss Twin-flower Leafy white orchis Nodding wintergreen Balsam ragwort Goldenrod Goldthread Feather-moss Sphagnum moss Hair-cap moss Feather-moss Lichens Caribou lichen Caribou lichen Caribou Uchen Rock tripe Caribou lichen Caribou lichen Caribou lichen Cladonia gracilis var. chordalis ( Iw ) .... Parmelia centrifuga ( Iw ) Cladonia scabriuscula f. surrecta (cf ) .. Nephroma arcticum ( cf , Iw ) Stereocaulon alpinum ( Iw ) Umbilicaria torrefacta (Iw) Cetraria saepincola ( Iw ) Cetraria tuckermani ( Iw ) Parmelia enteromorpha (Iw) Parmelia saxatilis var. angustifolia (Iw) Parmelia stygia ( Iw ) Cladonia amaurocraea f. celotea (Iw) Cladonia gracilis var. dilatata f. floripara (Iw) .. Cladonia cenotea f. crossota (Iw) Lasallia papulosa ( Iw ) The mammals in this habitat include the following: Clethrionomys gapperi proteus (cf, Iw) Labrador red-backed mouse Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus (Iw) Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis (cf) Ungava red squirrel Lepiis americanus americanus (cf ) American snowshoe rabbit Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum (cf) Eastern Canada porcupine The eastern woodland caribou (Rangifer caribou caribou), re- ported in tlie vicinity of Carol Lake, undoubtedly ranges through a wide variety of habitats, from the forests to the Barrens above the tree-line. The eastern moose (Alces alces americana) was also reported. A number of other forest mammals, including such carni- vores as the Labrador red fox (Vulpes ftilva bangsi) and the Ameri- 34 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. can black bear ( Euarctos americanus americanus ) , must also occur in the area. Birds Turdus migratorius nigrideus ( cf ) Black-backed Robin Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus (Iw) - .— Labrador Jay Reguliis calendula calendula (cf) Eastern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Junco htjemalis hyemalis (cf, Iw) Slate-colored Junco Dendroica coronata coronata (Iw) Eastern Myrtle Warbler Zonotrichia nigrilora ( Iw ) Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Canachites canadensis canadensis (Iw) Hudsonian Spruce Grouse Loxia leucoptera ( cf ) White-winged Crossbill Spizella arborea arborea (Iw) Eastern Tree Sparrow Parus hudsanicus hudsonicus (cf) - Hudsonian Chickadee Htjlocichla guttata faxoni (cf) Eastern Hermit Thrush Dendroica striata Blackpoll Warbler Apparently the Hermit Thrush had not been previously reported at a point so far to the northward in the central interior of the penin- sula. In like manner, a closed-crown forest at Attikamagen Lake furnished a high northern record in this general region for the Olive- backed Thrush (Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni) (see antea, p. 22). It would appear that the shelter of a forest of this type may offer an optimum habitat for certain birds and probably other animals of the Ungava Peninsula as they approach the northern limits of their ranges. The only amphibians met with were two Cope's Toads ( Bufo ter- restris copei) — one in lichen woodland and one in an adjacent lake- side thicket. Lichen Woodland at Lac Aulneau This type of forest {cf. Hare, 1950:622, figs. 8, 9; Hustich, 1951a: 6-11, figs. 1, 2; Fraser, 1956) occurs on an area of gravelly knolls at the geological campsite (fig. 1; also Harper, 1961: pi. 2, fig. 2) and in its vicinity. Natural conditions had become slightly disturbed by the erection and use of several wooden buildings and half a dozen tents. Yet there had been comparatively little timber-cutting or other destruction of the vegetation. Trees Picea mariana Black spruce Picea glauca White spruce Larix taricina Tamarack Shrubs Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium Low sweet blueberry Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 35 Empetrum nigrum Crowberry Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Betula glandulosa Dwarf birch Alnus crispa Green alder Arctostciphijlos alpina Alpine bearberry Ledum decumbens Narrow-leaved Labrador tea Ground Plants (vascular) Deschampsia flexuosa Common hairgrass Cornus canadensis Bunchberry Mosses Pleurozium schreberi Feather-moss Lichens Cladonia alpestris Caribou hchen Ceiraria nivalis Stereocaulon fastigiatum Nephroma arcticum The occurrence of Arctostaphylos alpina and Ledum decumbens in this open type of forest, at an altitude several hundred feet below timber-line, suggests a slight approximation toward alpine conditions. Mamrnals Clethrionomys gapperi ungava Ungava red-backed mouse Tamiasciurus huasonicus ungavensis Ungava red squirrel Birds Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus Labrador Jay Bubo virginianus heterocnemis Labrador Homed Owl Lanius excubitor borealis — Northern Shrike Additional birds occurring in the general camp area, in either Hchen woodland or closed-crown forest, and likelv to be found in the former habitat though not definitely recorded from it, were: Turdus migratorius nigrideus Black-backed Robin Junco hycmalis hijemalis Slate-colored Junco Passerella iliaca iliaca Eastern Fox Sparrow Zonotrichia nigrilora Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Dendroica coronata coronata Eastern Myrtle Warbler Lichen Woodland at Leroy Lake Between the southwestern cove and the outlet of this lake there is an area of hchen woodland probably less than a quarter of a mile in diameter (National Typographic Series, Boundary Lake sheet, east half ) . It is gently rolling upland, rising to a maximum of perhaps 20-25 feet above the lake, which is roughly 1590 feet above sea level. The widely spaced trees, \vith intervening ground cover of hchens 36 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. and mosses on a comparatively dry surface, give this area a most inviting parklike aspect (Harper, 1958:pl. 2, fig. 2). It is doubtless a fairly typical example of the lichen woodlands of the Hudsonian Life-zone in the interior of Ungava. It is bordered on one side by a black spruce and tamarack muskeg. My stay lasted from August 18 to 21. Trees Picea mariana Black spruce Picea glauca White spruce Larix laricina Tamarack Shrubs Betula glandulosa . Dwarf birch Vaccinium uUginosum var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium Low sweet blueberry EmpetTum, nigrum. Crowberry Ground Plants (vascular) Cornus canadensis Bunchberry Mosses Pleurozium schreberi Feather-moss Lichens Cladonia alpestris Caribou lichen Stereocaulon fastigiatum Cladonia gracilis var. chordalis Caribou lichen Nephroma arcticum There is a general similarity between this vegetation and that in the lichen woodland at Lac Aulneau. The two species of spruce, dif- fering but little in abundance, far outnumber the tamaracks. Her- baceous plants other than Cornus canadensis were too scarce or in- conspicuous to be noticed. Mammals Clethrionomys gapperi proteus Labrador red-backed mouse Phenacomys ungava crassus Labrador spruce mouse Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis Ungava red squirrel The Labrador red-backed mouse is obviously by far the commonest mammal of this habitat. Trails little more than an inch wide, noticed here and there on top of the mosses and lichens, were probably main- tained chiefly by it. Melanism in this species was especially pro- nounced here. Apparently this habitat is too dry and too devoid of grasses to entice any Microtus from adjacent muskegs or creek mar- PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 37 gins. Fragments of spruce cones, left in piles, testify to the feasts of the Ungava red squirrel. Birds Turdus migratorius nigridcus Black -backed Robin Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus Labrador Jay Parus hudsonicus hudsonicus Hudsonian Chickadee Regulus calendula calendula Eastern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Spizella arborea arborea Eastern Tree Sparrow Pinicola enucleator eschatosus Newfoundland Pine Grosbeak The Robins, in their post-breeding wanderings, seemed to have a distinct penchant for pausing in the tops of spruces. Tlie Labrador Jays were evidently attracted in more than usual numbers by the op- portunities for foraging among the food scraps of the camp. Burnt Tract at Knoh Lake Burnt tracts of various sizes and ages are in evidence in the Un- gava landscape. Some of them date from far back, as we may learn from Hind (1863), Low (1896), Cabot (1922), Elton (1942:300- 303), Tanner (1947), and others. For example: "From the Gulf to the barrens, three-fourths of the country has been laid waste [by fire] within the white period, the thin mat of organic soil being burned wholly away over large areas, leaving only rock and sterile subsoil" (Cabot, 1922:191). "In Labrador . . . probably no part of the wooded area has not at some time or other been devastated by forest fires. Old records . . . contain descriptions of fabulously extensive forest fires. Hind mentions a forest fire raging in the upland of the Gulf of St. Law- rence in 1785, which extended 300 miles in length and probably 200 miles in breadth. ... At least one half of the forest area of the interior has been totally destroyed by fire within the past twenty-five or thirty years. Low stated in 1896 .... "Forest fires still ravage tlie interior of Newfoundland-Labrador every summer and appear to have done so from time immemorial. Areas recently devastated by fire thus occupy a considerable part of the total forested area. The fires often bum all through the summer, destroying thousands of square miles of timber land." ( Tanner, 1947, 1:401-402.) My own observations in the interior scarcely support the gloomy picture presented by the authors quoted above. Fires of very recent origin did not appear so numerous nor so extensive as might have been feared. Practically the only ones of this sort that came to my close attention (from the ground) were in the general Knob Lake 38 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST, area ( National Topographic Series, Knob Lake sheet, east and west halves ) . In various other localities — as at Aulneau, Leroy, Mollie T., Attikamagen, Ashuanipi, and Carol lakes — I have no particular recollection of recent or extensive burnings. On the other hand, as I flew north on July 22 from Knob Lake to Lac Aulneau, no less than three extensive fires were in view from the plane; but a rainy spell tliat set in two days later put an effective stop to them. The frequency of rain in this region is an important safeguard against long-contin- uing fires. On the whole, fire losses and hazards may be expected to become more serious in consequence of the industrial development of the interior and the great increase in the human population. The burned areas of the peninsula, as indicated on Hare's map (1959: map 1), comprise probably no more than 20 per cent of the country south of latitude 56° and certainly less than 1 per cent of the predominantly tundra country north of that latitude. After considerable flying over the west central portion of the peninsula in 1944, Manning writes (1947:82-83): "The two largest [burnt areas] were toward the head of Moisie River, and at Lake Nichikun." Each covered about 600 square miles. "I estimated that 8 percent of the caribou moss [Cladonia] has been destroyed by fire in the last 20 years." (The two areas mentioned may be identified on Hare's map.) The principal burnt tract that I investigated at various periods, from June to October, extends from Knob and Pierce lakes west past Slimy Lake and northwest past Burnt Creek (fig. 5; also Harper, 1958:pl. 1, fig. 1; pi. 5, fig. 2; and pi. 6, fig. 1). It covers a number of square miles. The part that I visited most frequently was that in close proximity to the seaplane base at the northwest end of Knob Lake. From the lake's edge at 1645 feet it slopes upward over a succession of irregular ridges to a summit at about 2100 feet north of Slimy Lake. A small stream, which I have called Camp Brook, courses tlirough this part. The fire swept over this area in 1946. It was interesting to note the stage of the regeneration of plant life seven years later ( in 1953 ) . Dense, lifeless mats of Cladonia, still covering much of the ground, hindered new growth from springing up through them. On the other hand, mosses (particularly PolijtricJmm) had reappeared extensively. Knee- to shoulder-high dwarf birches, putting forth their leaves in June, had restored greenery to much of the landscape. Blueberries of several species were growing luxuriantly. But gaunt, dead, upright trunks of black spruce still dominated tlie view, although many of PLANT AND ANIMAL, ASSOCHATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 39 the larger ones had been cut for lumber or firewood. A few spruce seedlings, 5 inches to a foot in height, had started the process of reforestation. Rock ledges and boulders, denuded by the fire of much of their covering of mosses and Hchens, lay nakedly exposed on all sides. The former vegetation was obviously an upland spruce forest for the most part; probably both closed-crown forest and hchen woodland had been represented. The first of the following plant lists is the primary one, pertaining to the extensive and comparatively dry upland areas: Trees Picea mariana (dead trunks and new seedlings) Black spruce Larix laricina Tamarack Picea glauca White spruce Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia Canoe birch Shrubs Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium Low sweet blueberry Betula glandulosa Dwarf birch Ledum groenlandictim Common Labrador tea Vaccinium uliginosum. var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus Mountain cranberry Alnus crispa Green alder Rihes glandulosum, Skunk currant Viburnum edule Mooseberry Vaccinium. caespitosum Dwarf blueberry Salix huniilis Small pussy-willow Amelanchier bartramiana Mountain shadbush Ground Plants {vascular) Deschampsia flexuosa Common hairgrass Epilobium angustifolium Fireweed Cornus canadensis Bunchberry Trientalis borealis Star-flower Luzula parviflora Small-flowered wood-rush Viola adunca var. m,inor Sivnd violet Aster puniceus var. oligocephalus Purple-stemmed aster Ruhus puhescens Dwarf raspberry Actaea rubra Red baneberry Carex brunncscens Brownish sedge Mitella nuda Northern miterwort Corydalis sempervirens Pale Corydalis Solidago macTophylla var. thyrsoidea Large-leaved goldenrod Mosses Polytrichum juniperinum Hair-cap moss Dicranum elongatum Ceratodon purpureus Lichens Cladonia alpestris Caribou lichen 40 UNIV'ERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Among the plants listed above, Betula glandulosa and the various species of Vacciniuni are probably important items in the food of some of the mammals and birds. Even the capsules of Polytrichum juniperinum appear to be taken by White-crowned Sparrows. The following supplementary plant list adds a number of species that were more or less restricted to the damper areas, such as the banks of Camp Brook, where additional moisture provided them with a more suitable habitat: Shrubs Salix vestita Hairy willow Salix planifolia Flat-leaved willow Rubus idaeus var. strigosus Raspberry Cornus stolonifera Red-osier dogwood Betula minor Dwarf white birch Salix cordifolia var. callicarpaea ___ Broad-leaved willow Ground Plants {vascular) Viola renifolia var. brainerdii Kidney-leaved violet Galium triflorum, Sweet-scented bedstraw Athyrium filix-femina var. laurentianum Lady-fern Mosses Pohlia nutans Aulacomnium. palustre Hepatics Marchantia pohjm^jrpha A little mouse-trapping was done along the border where the burnt tract closely approached Camp Brook ( or even extended directly to it ) , but practically no traps were set in the burnt tract proper. Thus the records of mammals were obtained by direct observation of them- selves, their tracks, or their nests. Old, flattened nests, composed of common hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa), were frequently noted on the surface of the ground; evidently tliey had been occupied dur- ing the winter beneath a blanket of snow and had been abandoned as this cover melted. They were presumably the homes of Microtus pennsijlvanicus enixus. Most of the various tracks were noted on fresh snow early or late in the season. Lichens are so slow in regen- erating after fires that those of the burnt tracts offer scarcely any food for caribou for a good many ensuing years. Four of the mammal species listed below were definitely attracted to garbage dumps in the burnt tract, and the red fox doubtless was Hkewise. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 41 Mammals Clethrionomys gapperi proteus Labrador red-backed mouse Microtus penmylvanicus enixus Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis Ungava red squirrel Vulpes fulva bangsi Labrador red fox Euarctos americanus americanus , American black bear Summer residents among the birds appeared more numerous, as to both species and individuals, in this burnt tract than in any of the other local terrestrial habitats. Of course the lack of obstructions to the view {cf. fig. 5) made them more readily observable here than in the adjoining stands of thick green timber. Yet there can be little doubt that such species as White-crowned Sparrows and Robins were actually more numerous here than in the other habitats. Prob- ably the same statement is true of the winter-resident Ptarmigan, whose droppings remain in evidence through the summer. The ex- posed situations of the Robins' nests — on bare, charred stubs of spruces — suggest that these birds have comparatively little to fear from either diurnal or nocturnal predators. The existence of exten- sive burnt tracts in the Ungava Peninsula very likely results in a larger population of such birds as Black-backed Robins and White- crowned Sparrows on their wintering grounds in the United States as well as in their summer haunts. If more of the dead trees had retained their bark, the insects and the insect larvae that normally live beneath the bark would probably have attracted more of the American Three-toed Woodpeckers. Twenty species of birds were recorded in this habitat. Birds Zonotrichia nigrilora Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Turdtis migratorius nigrideus Black-backed Robin Acanthis linaria linaria Common Redpoll Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus Labrador Jay Lagopus lagopxis ungavus Ungava Willow Ptarmigan Hylocichla minima minima Gray-cheeked Thrush Iridoprocne bicolor Tree Swallow Euphagus carolinus carolinus Rusty Blackbird Junco hijev\alis hyemalis Slate-colored Junco Seiunts novcboracensis Northern Water-thrush Larus argentatus smitfisonianus American Herring Gull Picoides tridactylus hacatus American Three-toed Wood- pecker Pants hudsonicus hudsonicus Hudsonian Chickadee Dendroica striata Blackpoll Warbler Dendraica coronata coronata Eastern Myrtle Warbler Wilsonia pusilla pusilla Wilson's Warbler Lanius excuhitor borealis Northern Shrike Colaptes auratus Yellow-shafted Flicker Sialia si(dus siulis Eastern Bluebird Zonotrichia alhicollis White-throated Sparrow 42 UNR'ERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. The last three species were apparently stragglers beyond the nor- mal northern Hmits of their ranges. A Flicker was noted on the same dead spruce where Tree Swallows occupied a nest-hole. The Blue- bird, if remaining to breed, would have found a similar site suitable. The following were attracted to garbage dumped in the burnt tract: White-crowned Sparrows, Robins, Labrador Jays, Rusty Blackbirds, and Herring Gulls. Redpolls were observed feeding in dwarf birch and alder. The Willow Ptarmigan find here certain foods, such as mountain cranberries, sedge seeds, and buds of willow and dwarf birch, of which they avail themselves in Keewatin {cf. Harper, 1953: 36,40). A number of Northern Wood Frogs (Ratia sylvatica cantahrigensis) and one Cope's Toad ( Bufo terrestris copei ) resorted to a pool beside the seaplane base for breeding purposes, and they would have been virtually obhged to traverse some part of the burnt tract in order to reach it. Muskeg at Lac Aulneau Muskegs are here considered wooded, boggy, more or less level areas, characterized particularly by a growth of black spruce, Lab- rador tea, and sphagnum moss {cf. Porsild, 1937:138-139; Hustich, 19491?: 12, 41). I would exclude from the definition of muskeg any treeless expanse of bog. The chief muskeg investigated at Lac Aulneau is situated on the west side of the lake just south of the geological camp. It covers probably several acres, and it had not been disturbed by human ac- tivity. The surface consists mostly of pools of water and mossy hummocks, with some rocks. There is much more than the usual amount of water for a muskeg. Trees Larix laricina Tamarack Picea mariana Black spruce Shrubs Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Mijrica gale Sweet gale Salix vestita Hairy willow Empetrum nigrum Crowberry Ground Plants {vascular) Carex leptalea Bristle-stalked sedge Rubus chamaemorus Baked-apple berry Scirpus hudsonianus Bulrush PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 43 Mosses Sphagnum spp. Sphagnum moss Lichens Cladonia alpestris Cladonia pleurota Cladonia gracilis var. elongata — Cladonia lepidota Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus Clethrionomys gapperi ungava .. Mammals Caribou lichen Caribou hchen Caribou hchen Caribou hchen Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse Ungava red-backed mouse Birds Jiinco hyemalis hyemalis Turdus migratorius nigrideus Dendwica coronata coronata Partis hudsonicus hudsonicus Seiurus noveboracensis Regtdus calendula calendula Zonotrichia nigrilora Slate-colored Junco Black-backed Robin Eastern Myrtle Warbler Hudsonian Chickadee Northern Water-thrush Eastern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Amphibians Rana sylvatica cantabrigensis Northern Wood Frog Most of the species listed above thrive in dry or slightly damp habitats, while Mtjrica gale, Carex leptalea, Scirpiis hudsoniamis, Sphagnum, Seiurus noveboracensis, and Rana sylvatica show a more or less distinct preference for particularly moist or aquatic habitats. The presence here of both groups of species may be explained by the variation, among the components of the muskeg's surface, from dry rocks to pools of water. Open Bogs String Bogs One of the most distinctive features of Ungava physiography con- sists of marshy areas that are known among some of the mining personnel as "festoon marshes." A synon>Tnous term that has ap- peared commonly in the Hterature on the subject is "string bogs." Their unusual nature is not readily apparent from the ground, but it becomes conspicuous from the air. From this point of view they might suggest a microtomic section of animal tissue, magnified to gigantic proportions. In typical form they consist of alternating boggy and watery strips, arranged for the most part as irregular but more or less parallel arcs. There is a shght current of water passing 44 UNIV'ERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. through these bogs, pushing against the terrestrial strips from the concave side. Many of the bogs vary in width from approximately a quarter to half a mile. An unusually extensive aggregation west of Ashuanipi Lake (shown in part in fig. 7) has a NW-SE length of fully 5 miles and a NE-SW width of nearly 3 miles. The bogs ap- peared to be especially common between the Ashuanipi Lake area and the Knob Lake area; but they were also observed for miles north of Knob Lake and close to Seven Islands as well. They naturally occupy some of the lowest parts of the terrain. The term "blanket bog" is used in Ireland and elsewhere in north- em Europe for bogs of a somewhat similar type. However, the Irish blanket bogs described by Tansley (1953, 2:714-718, pi. 121) seem to bear only slight resemblance to the Ungava string bogs. A partic- ularly noticeable difference in the former is the apparent absence of any regular alternation of somewhat parallel boggy and watery strips, shaped more or less like arcs. The pools of water seem to be of com- paratively small extent and of very irregular distribution. Further- more, Tansley refers (p. 718) to some of the Irish blanket bogs as "lacking free drainage," and he gives little or no indication of soli- fluction. ( See also Boatman, 1957. ) Tanner (1947, 1:396-401, fig. 201) discusses and figures the Lab- rador "mires," as he calls them: "These reach their greatest expansion just in the interior within the boundaries of the forest of tlie finest growth .... They creep very slowly in one more definite direction .... These mires have been partly decomposed by mechanical agents, principally by the frost, and are a mosaic of bog and fen . . . where irregularly curved lines of somewhat drier bog vegetation run in festoons across the narrow fen belts with pools of water or turf mud." Pomerleau ( 1950:7-8) writes of viewing from the air, in the Otish Mountains area, "the wrinkled peat-bog, whose straight and almost parallel bands of vegetation are separated by basins of water. There are the first visible effects of solifluction. This type of peat-bog, so common in Arctic regions, is formed on slight slopes when the super- ficial soil slides on a base of permafrost." ( Translated from the orig- inal French. ) Hare (1952:418, fig. 9) presents an aerial photograph of "Sphag- num-dominated string bogs" near Seven Islands. Polunin ( 1948) and Dansereau (1955) seem to omit any description or discussion. Hu- stich (1951Z?) gives httle attention to these bogs, but remarks later (1954:7) that he "did not see in the [Knob Lake] area any large PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCL^TIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 45 'string bogs' which seem to dominate the granite-gneiss area outside the sedimentary belt (judging from air-trips Seven Islands-Knob Lake and Seven Islands-Goose Bay)." During the past half-dozen years there has been a succession of papers on the subject, dealing with areas from Ungava to Alaska ( see Drury, 1956; Hamelin, 1957; Miss Alhngton, 1958; Mackay, 1958; Hare, 1959:32; Williams, 1959; and Henoch, 1960). Miss Alhngton remarks (1958:90-91) that the string bogs "are not found north of 58° or south of 48° in Quebec-Labrador, and are seen at their best in the central part of the peninsula at about 53° N. . . . At Knob Lake ... no permafrost was found beneath the bogs." On September 9 and 10 I had an opportunity to investigate a string bog on the northwestern side of Carol Lake ( figs. 6 and 7 ) . Here I found the successive pools of water lying at shghtly different levels and connected by tiny streamlets running across the terrestrial strips. The latter varied in width from 4 or 5 feet to as many rods. In addi- tion to the alternating boggy and watery strips, there is an outer portion of the bog somewhat similar to the terrestrial strips, but not interrupted by strips of water. In the following hst of the vegetation, the distribution of the plants in the three kinds of habitat is indicated by letter symbols, as follows: ( a ) outer portion of the bog (b) terrestrial strips ( c ) watery strips Trees Larix laricina ( small ) ( a, b ) Tamarack Shrubs Potentilla fruticosa ( a, b ) Shrubby cinquefoil Myrica gale ( a, b, c ) Sweet gale Vaccinium uliginosum. var. alpinum (b) Alpine bilberry Andromeda ghucophyllu (c) Bog rosemary Kalmia polifolUi ( a, b ) Bog laurel Ledum groenlandicum (b) Common Labrador tea Empetnim nigrum (a) Crowberry Ground Phnts (vascular) Carex exilis (b, c) Coast sedge Carex ?paupercula (b, c) Bog? sedge Eriophonim viridi-carinatum (b) Thin-leaved cotton-grass Danthonia intermedia (a) Wild oat-grass Carex oligosperma ( b ) Few-seeded sedge Sanguisorba canadensis ( a, b ) Canadian bumet Primula ?mistassinica (a) Bird's-eye? primrose Aster radula var. strictus ( a ) Low rough aster 46 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. SoUdago purshii (a) Pursh's goldenrod Menyanthes trifoliata ( a, c ) Buckbean Triglochin maritima ( a ) .._ Arrow-grass Tofieldia pusilla ( a ) False asphodel Mosses Sphagnum sp. ( a, b ) __ Sphagnum moss Scorpidium scorpidioides (b, c) Pleurozium schreberi (a, b) Feather-moss It may be noted that this hst of plants differs considerably from that recorded by Tanner (1947, 1:398) from "bogs and fens" in the southeastern part of the peninsula. The only vertebrate detected in this bog was the Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse ( Microtus pennsijlvaniciis enixus ) . The animal and its runways were exceedingly numerous on the terrestrial strips and apparently also on the outer portion of the bog. Another string bog, about half a mile northeast of Mile 224 Air- strip, was briefly investigated on September 19. Plants of the terres- trial strips included: Trees Picea mariana ( young ) Black spruce Larix laricina (young) Tamarack Shrubs Juniperus communis — Common juniper Chamaedaphne calyculata Leather-leaf Ground Plants (vascular) Aster radula var. strictus Low rough aster Sanguisorba canadensis Canadian bumet In the watery strips were the following plants: Shrubs Betida michauxii Michaux's dwarf birch Cham,aedaphne calyculata Leather-leaf Ground Plants (vascular) Menyanthes trifoliata Buckbean Runways and piles of droppings of Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus were numerous on the terrestrial strips, and a Cope's Toad (Bufo terrestris copei ) was found at tlie margin between a terrestrial strip and a watery strip. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCLVTIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 47 A Moss-sedge Bog at Attikamagen Lake A mile from the upper end of the Northwest Bay of Attikamagen Lake, on the southeastern side, there is a shghtly indented, half-mile- long cove (National Topographic Series, Knob Lake sheet, east half ) . The light green expanse of an open bog, sloping to the nortli- em shore of the cove, attracts attention from a long distance. It extends perhaps 100 yards back from the shore and is about 60 yards wide. The inner end is about 12-15 feet higher than the outer end at the rocky shore, and a tiny trickle of water courses through it. The pronounced slope of the surface differentiates this bog from prac- tically all the others that I investigated. Despite the slope, the mosses retain a great deal of water and give the bog a decidedly oozy con- sistency. On three brief visits ( July 15, 16, and 17 ) I found the vege- tation composed mainly of mosses and sedges, in which microtine runways and tunnels were numerous. On all sides except the shore the bog is bordered by coniferous forest. Ground Plants (vascular) Carex aquatilis Water sedge Epilobium palustre Swamp willow-herb Menyanthes trifoliata Buckbean Smilacina trifolia Three-leaved Solomon's seal Carex leptalea Bristle-stalked sedge Mosses Tomenthtjpnum nit ens Faludella squarrosa Mnium affine The few above-mentioned species evidently comprise the bulk of the vegetation in the bog proper. Carex aquutilis is the predominant vascular plant, and Tomenfhypnum the predominant moss. The only mammal found in this bog was the Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse (Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus); it was very abun- dant. No birds were noted actually in the bog. Toward the eastern edge there is a small isolated sphagnous mound bearing the following additional species: trees — Picea mariana; shrubs — Ledum groenlandictim and Ernpetrum nigrum; ground plants (vascular) — Luzula parviflora, Poa alpigena, Equisetum ar- vense, Mitella nuda, and Corntis canadensis; mosses — Sphagnum sp. and Cratoneuron filicinum. A single Microtus pennsijlvanicus enixus was trapped on the mound. Aquatic Habitats In this brief consideration of aquatic plants and vertebrates (in- cluding a few littoral species ) , those of lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks. 48 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. and brooks will be taken up in turn. Those bodies of water where my observations were made extend from Lac Aulneau in the north (lat. 57° ) to Ashuanipi and Carol lakes in the south (lat. 53° ). Lakes The following notes pertain chiefly to Aulneau, Mollie T., Attika- magen, Knob, Ashuanipi, Stevens, and Carol lakes. Their waters are moderately clear. As far as I have observed, and as far as may be judged from the shallows near shore, these lakes in general have rocky bottoms, which are not particularly favorable for the develop- ment of plant life. Many of the shores also are rocky. At Lac Aulneau, however, there is an expanse of sandy bottom adjacent to a sandspit. There are also some sandy beaches on Ashuanipi Lake. Little precise information seems to have been published concerning the depth of the lakes. According to Low ( 1896:67, 99, 107, 153, 156, 157, 161 ) , Petitsikapau Lake "is very shallow, and in its widest part it was found not to exceed ten feet in depth." The middle lake of the Menihek Lakes is "very shallow." Nichikun Lake "is not too deep and in many places it is quite shallow." Ashuanipi is "not a deep lake." On the other hand, the depth of Lake Mistassini "in some places exceeds 400 feet"; in Michikamau Lake "the depth is very great," and part of Lake Kaniapiskau "is said to be very deep." Munroe states (1949:171) that in the Knob Lake area "the lakes are for the most part shallow." At a certain spot in Lac Aulneau a depth of about 30 feet ( not necessarily the maximum ) was reported. My observations on the plants of the aquatic habitats were too limited to permit a reliable estimate of their comparative abundance. Accordingly the five species are Listed in merely systematic sequence. Plants Sparganium Phyperboreum Northern? bur-reed Potamogeton praelongus White-stemmed pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus var. bupleuroides Clasping-leaved pondweed Ranunculus trichophyllus White water-crowfoot Myriophyllum alterniflorum Loose-flowered water-milfoil At least some of these aquatics enter the diet of certain birds, and doubtless of mammals as well. Ranunculus trichophyllus was found in the esophagus and proventriculus of an Ungava Canada Goose taken on one of the lakes near Knob Lake; and a quantity of Potamo- geton perfoliatus var. bupleuroides and Myriophyllum alternifolium was floating in the edge of a lake on Gilling River, as if it had been pulled up by the large numbers of these birds that had been fre- PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCEATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 49 quenting the lake. Potamogeton and Sparganium are well-known duck foods. Seven mammals of the Ungava interior regularly and frequently take to the water and have certain structural adaptations for such a Hfe. Mammah Ondatra zibethicus aquilonius Labrador muskrat Condylura cristata cristata Star-nosed mole Castor canadensis labradorensis Labrador beaver Mustela vison loxvii Ungava mink Sorex palustris subspp. Water-shrew Lutra canadensis chimo . — Ungava otter Phoca vitulina mellonae Ungava fresh-water seal The above list of mammals may serve for the ponds and streams as well. Among other species of more terrestrial habits yet at least oc- casionally entering the lakes, and reported in such a habitat in 1953, were: Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse {Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus), eastern woodland caribou (Rangifer caribou caribou), and American black bear (Etiarctos americamis americamis) . Numbers of the meadow mice were found dead in the water or in tlie stomachs of Lake Trout. Doubtless a considerable proportion of the otlier local mammal species take to the water now and then. Eleven kinds of birds were noted on the lakes, or in definite asso- ciation with such a habitat. Birds Branta canadensis interior Ungava Canada Goose Larus argentatus smitlisonianus American Herring Gull Gavia immer Common Loon Mcrgus senator serrator Red-breasted Merganser Buceplmla clangula americana American Goldeneye Pandion haliaetiis carolinensis American Osprey Sterna paradisaca Arctic Tern Anas nibripes Black Duck Melanitta perspicillata Surf Scoter Megaceryle alcyon alctjon Eastern Belted Kingfisher Ftdica americana americana American Coot The Ungava Canada Geese attain first place on this list only by the numbers that pass through on their migrations; those that breed in this part of the Hudsonian Life-zone are scarcely numerous. The Osprey, Arctic Tern, and Kingfisher merely plunge into the water momentarily to obtain their prey in it. The Herring Gull, Common Loon, Red-breasted Merganser, and Arctic Tern seek islands in the lakes for nesting-sites. Shore birds that frequent the margins of these lakes, and doubtless 50 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. step now and then into the shallow water near shore, include the Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) and the Least Sandpiper ( Erolia ininutilla ) . The following list of fishes that I found in the interior waters will suffice for the various aquatic habitats, which are indicated thus: 1 = lake; r = river; c = creek; b = brook. Fishes Couesius plumheus ( 1, b ) Plumbeous Minnow Catostomus catostamus catostomus (1, r, c) Red Sucker Gasterostens aculeatus ( 1 ) Three-spined Stickleback Salvelinus fontinalis ( 1, r, c, b ) Brook Trout Coregonus clupeafomiis (1, r, c ) Common Whitefish Cristivomer namaycush ( 1, r ) Lake Trout Cottus cognatus ( 1 ) Great Bear Lake Sculpin Prosopium cylindraceum quadrilaterale (1, r, c) .. Round Whitefish Salmo solar ouarmniche (1, r) Ouananiche Lota lota lacustris ( 1 ) American Burbot Esox lucius ( 1, r ) Northern Pike This boreal fish fauna is perhaps noteworthy for the large propor- tion of predaceous species ( Cristivomer, Salvelinus, Salmo, Esox, and Lota ) , and also for the poor representation of the Cyprinidae — by a single species, Couesius plumbeus. No fishes were detected in the small ponds or in the string bogs. Small Ponds at Lac Aulneau Two of these ponds lie within the wooded area just south and west of the geological camp; yet their immediate shores, at least in part, are open and treeless. The ponds are perhaps 100 feet or a little more in diameter. Among the vascular plants, a sedge, Carex rostrata, and the narrow-leaved bur-reed, Sparganium angustifolium, grew in the shallow water. The former was predominant. The followdng were found on the damp, mucky, or muddy shores, and for the most part in the open: Carex lenticularis Lenticular sedge Carex saxatilis var. miliaris Rock sedge Juncus filiformis , Thread rush Petasites sagittatus Arrow-leaved sweet coltsfoot Petasites vitif alius Grape-leaved sweet coltsfoot The habitat of Petasites sagittatus was somewhat different: a spot where the mucky border extended into adjacent spruce woods. All the plants mentioned above, with two exceptions, were noted as abundant. The two exceptions were Sparganium angustifolium and Petasites vitif olius, which I regarded as not common. I found the two Petasites nowhere else in Ungava, and Carex lenticularis at only one other place — an island in Attikamagen Lake. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCTATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 51 An American Goldeneye {Bucephala clangula americana), fre- quently seen at one of the ponds, indicated by its actions that it prob- ably nested in the vicinity. Some small mollusks {Lymnaea palustris) at the border of the pond may have furnished an incentive for the bird's visits. The Wood Frog ( Rana sylvatica ) was reported calling at one of the ponds in June. Boggy Ponds at Mile 224 Airstrip Tw^o small ponds, with bordering sphagnous bogs, are located on the east side of Mile 224 Airstrip, at a distance of some 2 miles north of Ashuanipi Lake. Each of the ponds, including its sphagnous bor- ders, is only about a quarter of a mile in diameter and is thus too small to be represented on the Ashuanipi sheet (National Topographic Series). They he opposite the north and the south ends of the air- strip, respectively, and at a distance of perhaps 250 yards from it. Their altitudes are approximately 1775 feet (northern pond) and 1740 feet (southern pond). They are more or less surrounded by spruce woods (cf. Harper, 1961, pi. 1, fig. 2). My visits were made on various dates from August 23 to September 6 and from September 18 to 21. Of the plants listed below, Potentilh palustris, Utricuhria vulgaris, and Nuphar variegatum were growing in the water of the southern pond; Myrica gale, both in the edge of the pond and on the sphagnum; Carex lasiocarpa var. americana, on a "floating battery"; and the others, on the sphagnous borders. Trees Picea mariana Black spruce Larix laricina Tamarack Shrubs Chamaedaphne calyculata Leather-leaf Ledum groenlandicum Common Labrador tea Myrica gale Sweet gale Kalmia polifolia Bog laurel Andromeda glaucophyUa Bog rosemary Gaidtheria hispidula Creeping snowberry Vaccinitim uliginosum var. alpinum Alpine bilberry Empetrum nigrum, Crowberry Betula michauxii Michaiox's dwarf birch Ground Plants (vascular) Carex oligosperma Few-seeded sedge Rubus chamaemorus Baked-apple berry Carex rostrata Beaked sedge Eriophorum gracile Slender cotton-grass 52 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. Smilacina trifolia Three-leaved Solomon's seal Carex lasiocarpa var. americana Slender sedge Equlsetum sylvaticum Wood horsetail Memjanthes trifoliata Buckbean Potentilla palustris . Marsh cinquefoil Sarmcenui purpurea Pitcher-plant Oxy coccus microcarpus Small cranberry Utricularia vulgaris Greater bladderwort Sanguisofba canadensis Canadian bumet Nuphar variegatum Northern yellow pond-lily Mosses Sphagnum sp. Sphagnum moss Pleurozium schreberi Feather-moss Drepanocladus aduncus Trapping on the sphagnous borders yielded several specimens of the mouse first mentioned below, and only one specimen each of the other two: Clethrionomys gapperi proteus Labrador red-backed mouse Microtus pennsylvanictis enixus Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse Fhenacomys ungava crassus Labrador spruce mouse Of the following birds noted at the ponds, most or all of the ducks and the geese were on the water, while the Greater Yellowlegs and the White-crowned Sparrow were on the sphagnous borders : Anas rubripes , Black Duck Anas acuta Pintail Bucephala clungula americana American Goldeneye Larus argentatus smithsonianus American Herring Gull Anas carolinensis Green-winged Teal Branta canadensis interior Ungava Canada Goose Totanus melanoleucus Greater Yellowlegs Zonotrichia nigrilora Eastern White-crowned Spar- row Two species of mollusks ( Gyraulus circumstriatus and Sphaerium securis) and some amphipod crustaceans (Hyalella azteca), found among Utricularia vulgaris in the more southerly pond, may have been acceptable as food for the American Goldeneyes that were seen there on several occasions. Rivers, Creeks, and Brooks The streams under present discussion include the Ashuanipi River, the unnamed outlets of Wapanikskan, Leroy, Mollie T., and Hanna's lakes, unnamed inlets of Aulneau, Attikamagen, and Carol lakes, Slimy and Sucker creeks. Camp Brook, and a brook tributary to a boggy pond at Mile 224 Airstrip. They are situated between lati- tudes 53° and 57°05' N. In general, they have a moderate to rapid current, fairly clear water, and a more or less rocky bottom. But here PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCL^TIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 53 and there, at least in the smaller streams, there may be a sluggish cmrent and a mucky bottom. In the followdng list of stream plants, the habitats in which each was found are indicated by letter symbols : r = river; c = creek; b = brook. The species are Hsted in systematic sequence. Isoetes muricata (r) Quillwort Potamogeton alpinus VSLT. tenuifolius (c) Northern pondweed Potamvgeton gramineus (r) Various-leaved pondweed NupJmr variegatum (c) Northern yellow pond-lily CalUtriche anceps (b) Two-edged water-starwort Hippuris vulgaris (r, c) Common mare's tail The brevity of this list suggests a paucity of vascular plant species in the streams ( cf. Hustich, 1951Z?: 200-201 ) . Besides the plants listed above, Equisefum limosum was found on the wet shore of Ashuanipi River, where it was probably inundated at times of high water. Mammals and fishes of these waters have been very sketchily discussed in the preceding account of the lakes. Bird life on the streams seems to be even scarcer than on the lakes. In August several Black Ducks {Anas rubripes), an American Osprey ( Pandion fmlUie- tus carolinensis) , two American Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) , and an Eastern Belted Kingfisher (Megoceryle alcyon alcyon) were noted on or over Ashuanipi River, and a Greater Yellowlegs (Totaniis melanoleuctis) and several Spotted Sandpipers {Actitis macukiria) were seen along its shores. A Kingfisher was also recorded along Sucker Creek in June. Summary and Conclusions In the interior of the Ungava Peninsula, wdthin the general confines of the Hudsonian Life-zone, there are many Arctic-alpine areas, with a flora and a fauna approximating those of the Barren Grounds proper, which occupy the northern part of the peninsula and cer- tain narrow coastal strips, east and west. The altitude of the tree-line decreases from about 2550 feet in latitude 53° to 900 feet in latitude 57°. This decrease is accelerated toward the north, in correlation with the lowering of the temperature as a nearer approach is made to the cold waters of Ungava Bay. The forests of the Hudsonian Life-zone are predominantly conif- erous, with white spruce ( Vicea glauca ) and black spruce ( P. man- ana) far outnumbering the other trees. Closed-crowTi forest, lichen woodland, and muskeg are the principal forest t>^es. Open bogs, with a predominant growtli of mosses and sedges, are common. The so-called "string bogs," with alternating boggy and watery strips, 54 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. whose peculiar formation makes a much more striking picture from the air than from the ground, are a special type worthy of much more Study than they have received so far. Aside from scattered and stunted conifers of several species, some of the commoner or more characteristic plants of four Arctic-alpine areas ( at Lac Aulneau, Sunny Mountain, Ruth Lake Ridge, and Lor- raine Mountain ) are indicated below, in the approximate sequence of their abundance: Shrubs — Betula glandulosa, Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum, Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus, Arctostaphylos alpina, Salix spp., Ledum groenlandicum, and Phyllodoce caerulea. Ground plants (vascular) — Car ex bigelowii, Poa glauca, Epilobium angus- tifolium, Diapensia lapponica, Arenaria groenUindica, Lycopodium annotinum var. pungens, Tofieldia pusilla, Luzula parviflora, Coptis groenlandica, and Ly- copodium selago. Mosses — lUiacomitrium lanuginosum. Lichens — Cladonia alpestris, Parmelia centrifuga, Alectoria ochroleuca, Ster- eocaulon fastigiatum, Cladonia rangiferina, and Rhizocarpon geographicum. Some of the principal components of the vegetation of the closed- crown forests (at Aulneau, Attikamagen, Ashuanipi, and Carol lakes) may be Hkewise listed: Trees — Picea glauca, P. mariana, Larix laricina, and Abies balsamea. Shrubs — Ledum groenlandicum, Betula glandulosa, Alnus crispa, Salix vestita, Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus, Empetrum nigrum, and Viburnum edule. Ground plants (vascular) — Cornus canadensis, Carex vaginata, Equisetum sylvaticuim, Mitella nuda, Moneses uniflora, Linnaea borealis var. americana, Rubus chamaemorus, Coptis groenlandica, Pyrola secunda var. obtusata, Peta- sites palmatus, Dryopteris phegopteris, Gaultheria hispidula, and Dryopteris disjuncta. Mosses — Pleurozium schreberi, Hypnum crista-castrensis. Sphagnum spp., Dicranum fuscescens, and Hylocomium splendens. Lichens — Alectoria implexa, Parmelia encausta, Cetraria pinastri. Nephroma arcticum, Cladonia gracilis var. cliordalis, C. alpestris, C. cenotea f. crossota, Usnea dasypoga, and U. longissima var. tenuis. Two areas of lichen woodland ( at Aulneau and Leroy lakes ) pre- sent the following picture of the major vegetation: Trees — Picea mariana, P. glauca, and Larix laricina. Shrubs — Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium. Ledum groenlandicum, Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum, Betula glandulosa, and Empetrum nigrum. Ground plants (vascular) — Cornus canadensis and Deschampsia flexuosa. Mosses — Pleurozium schreberi. Lichens — Cladonia alpestris, Stereocaulon fastigiatum. Nephroma arcticum, Cetraria nivalis, Cladonia gracilis var. chordalis. PLANT AND ANEVIAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 55 Some of the plant species that appear in the preceding lists were not recorded in each locality among a given group of similar habitats; but more thorough search probably would have revealed them as generally distributed in that group. Since the remaining habitats discussed are represented, for the most part, by only one or two examples, there is evidently Httle need of drawing up summaries of their major vegetation. The vertebrate fauna is rather limited in species. The marked severity of the winter climate requires the withdrawal of insectiv- orous and fresh-water birds, while the deep snow hampers the move- ments of terrestrial ( versus arboreal ) mammals, large as well as small. The average daily mean temperature in January is -13° F. at Fort McKenzie and Knob Lake, and -9° at Sandgirt Lake. The average annual snowfall is about 76 inches at Fort McKenzie, 132 inches at Knob Lake, and 143 inches at Sandgirt Lake. Despite these adverse conditions, there are periodic peaks of great abundance among at least three of the smaller mammals : Labrador varying lemming ( Di- crostonijx hudsonius) , Labrador red-backed mouse (Clethrionomys gapperi proteus), and Hamilton Inlet meadow mouse {Microtas pennsylvanicus enixus ) . Bird life in the boreal coniferous forests is well known to be scanty. Food is apparently less abundant than in the deciduous forests of lower latitudes. Most of the species travel far to the southward for the winter. Hazards of long migration routes, at least occasional in- clement weather at the breeding season, and a summer too brief to permit more tlian a single brood as a rule, tend to keep the avian population down. Perhaps difficulty in finding sufficient food for the young has resulted in generally smaller egg clutches here than among the same species in milder climates. Burnt tracts, after a few years of plant regeneration, seem to con- stitute a distinctly favorable breeding haunt for certain birds, such as Eastern White-crowned Sparrows (Zonofrichia nigrilora) and Black-backed Robins ( Tiirdus migratoriits nigrideus ) . But the dearth of sufficient cover and of year-round food seems to deter most of tlie mammals from taking up their abode in these tracts in anything more than limited numbers. 56 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. LITERATURE CITED Abbe, Ernst C. 1936. Botanical results of the Grenf ell-Forbes Northern Labrador Expedi- tion, 1931. Rhodora 38:102-161, 4 pi., 7 maps. 1955. Vascular plants of the Hamilton River area, Labrador. Contrib. Gray Herbarium Harvard Univ. 176:1-44, 2 fig., 2 maps. Allington, Katharine R. 1958. Bogs of Central Labrador-Ungava. McGill Sub-Arctic Research Laboratory Ann. Rept., 1956-57, suppl. 1:88-92. Bartram, Edwin B. 1954. Mosses of the Ungava Peninsula, northeastern Canada. Bryologist 57(4):273-278. Boatman, D. J. 1957. Aji ecological study of two areas of blanket bog on the Galway- Mayo Peninsula, Ireland. Proc. Royal Irish Acad. 59, sect. B(3): 29-42. Cabot, William B. 1922. The Indians. In: Wilfred T. Grenf ell and others, Labrador, the country and the people: 184^225, 5 pi. New York. Dansereau, Pierre. 1955. Biogeography of the land and the inland waters. In: George H. T. Kiinble and Dorothy Good, Geography of the northlands: 84- 118, 12 fig. New York. Dix, W. L. 1956. Lichens and hepatics of the Ungava Peninsula. Bryologist 59(1): 43-50. Drury, William H., Jr. 1956. Bog flats and physiographic processes in the upper Kuskokwim River region, Alaska. Contrib. Gray Herbarium Harvard Univ. 178:1-130,24 fig. DUTTLLY, ArTHEME, AND ErNEST LePAGE. 1950-1951. La traversee de I'Ungava en 1945. Naturaliste Canadien 77 (5/6): 136-181; 78( l/4):5-77, 15 fig., 2 maps. DtrTTLLY, Artheme, Ernest Lepage, et Maximilian Duman. 1953. Contribution a la flore du bassin de la baie d'Ungava. Contrib. Arctic Inst. CathoHc Univ. America 4F: 1-104, 5 fig., 14 maps. Eraser, E. Morton. 1956. The lichen woodlands of the Knob Lake area of Quebec-Labrador. McGill Sub-Arctic Research Papers l:iii-(-28, 3 fig. (Mimeo- graphed. ) Hamelin, Louis Edmond. 1957. Les tourbieres reticulees du Quebec-Labrador subarctique: inter- pretation morpho-climatique. Cahiers Geog. Quebec annee 2(3): 87-106. Hare, F. Kenneth. 1950. Climate and zonal divisions of the boreal forest formation in eastern Canada. Geog. Rev. 40(4) :615-635, 12 fig. 1952. The Labrador frontier. Geog. Rev. 42 ( 3 ): 405-424, 11 fig. 1959. A photo-reconnaissance survey of Labrador-Ungava. [Canada] Dept. Mines and Technical Surveys, Geog. Branch Mem. 6. Ottawa: 1-83, 14 pi., 11 maps. Harper, Francis. 1953. Birds of the Nueltin Lake Expedition, Keewatin, 1947. Am. Mid- land Naturalist 49(1):1-116, 8 fig., 1 map. 1956. Amphibians and reptiles of the Ungava Peninsula. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 69:93-103, 2 fig. 1958. Birds of the Ungava Peninsula. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. 17:3-171, 6 pi., 26 maps. 1961. Land and fresh-water mammals of the Ungava Peninsula. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. 27:3-178, 8 pi., 3 fig., 45 maps. PLANT AND ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS OF UNGAVA PENINSULA 57 1962a. Field and historical notes on fresh-water fishes of the Ungava Penin- sula and on certain marine fishes of the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Jour. EHsha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 77(2) :312-342, 2 pL, 20 maps, "1961." 1962&. Changes in cUmate, faunal distribution, and life zones in the Ungava Peninsula. Polar Notes 3:20-41, 1 map, "1961." Harper, Francis, and Jean Sherwood Harper. 1929. Animal habitats in certain portions of the Adirondacks. New York State Mus. Handbook 8:11^9, 8 fig. Harrison, J. M. 1952. The Quebec-Labrador iron belt, Quebec and Newfoimdland (pre- hminary report). Geol. Survey Canada Paper 52-20:1-21, 2 fig., 2 maps. (Mimeographed.) Henoch, W. E. S. 1960. String-bogs in the Arctic 400 miles north of the tree-line. Geog. Jour. 126(3):335-339, 2pl., 1 fig., 1 map. Hind, Henry Youle. 1863. Explorations in the interior of the Laborador Peninsula, the country of the Montagnais and Nasquapee Indians. London: l:.vvi + 351, 9 pL, 15 fig., 1 map; 2:xv + 304, 4 pi., 7 fig., 1 map. House, Homer D. 1924. Annotated list of the ferns and flowering plants of New York State. New York State Mus. Bull. 2.54:1-759. HusTicH, Iumari. 1949a. Phytogeographical regions of Labrador. Arctic 2(1) : 36-42, 4 maps. 1949i). On the forest geography of the Labrador Peninsula. A preliminary synthesis. Acta Geog. 10(2): 1-63, 3 fig., 18 maps. 1951a. The lichen woodlands in Labrador and their importance as winter pastures for domesticated reindeer. Acta Geog. 12( 1 ) : 1-48, 18 fig., 5 maps. 195lfo. Forest-botanical notes from Knob Lake area in the interior of Lab- rador Peninsula. (With catalogue of the vascular plants, by A. E. Porsild, pp. 201-216.) Nat. Mus. Canada Bull. 123:166-217, 13 fig., 2 maps. 1954. On forests and tree growth in the Knob Lake area, Quebec-Labrador Peninsula. Acta Geog. 13(l):l-60, 27 fig., 1 map. Low, A. P. 1896. Report on explorations in the Labrador Peninsula along the East Main, Koksoak, Hamilton, Manicuagan and portions of other rivers, in 1892-93-94-95. Geol. Survey Canada Ann. Kept., n. s., 8, 1895: 1L-387L, 2 pi. Mackay, J. Ross. 1958. Arctic "vegetation arcs." Geog. Jour. 124(2) :294-295. Manning, T. H. 1947. Bird and mammal notes from the east side of Hudson Bay. Cana- dian Field-NaturaUst 60(4):71-85, 4 fig., 1 map, "1946." MuNROE, Eugene G. 1949. Notes on fish of the interior of the Labrador Peninsula. Arctic 2(3):165-173, 3 fig., 1 map. Odell, N. E. 1933. The mountains of nortliem Labrador. Geog. Jour. 82(3): 193- 210; (4):315-325, 12 pi., 2 maps. PoLUNiN, Nicholas. 1948. Botany of the Canadian Eastern Arctic. Part 3. Vegetation and ecology. Nat. Mus. Canada Bull. 104:vii -f 304, 107 fig., 2 maps. 1959. Circumpolar arctic flora. O.xf ord : xx\-iii -\- 514, illus. PoMERLEAu, Rene. 1950. Au sommet de I'Ungava. Rev. Universite Laval 4(9) : 1-16, 2 maps. Porsild, A. E. 1937. Flora of the Northwest Territories. In: Canada's Western North- land: 130-141, 4 fig. Ottawa. 58 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLS., MUS. NAT. HIST. 1951. Catalogue of the vascular plants. Pp. 201-216 in: Ilmari Hustich, Forest-botanical notes from Knob Lake area in the interior of Lab- rador Peninsula. Nat. Mus. Canada Bull. 123:166-217, 13 fig., 2 maps. 1957. Illustrated flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Nat. Mus. Canada Bull. 146:iii + 209, 70 fig., 332 maps. 1958. Geographical distribution of some elements in the flora of Canada. Geog. Bull. 11:57-77, 19 maps. Raxxp, Hugh M. 1936. Phytogeographic studies in the Athabaska-Great Slave Lake region. 1. Catalogue of vascular plants. Join:. Arnold Arboretvun 17:180- 315, 11 pi., 1 map. RowE, J. S. 1959. Forest regions of Canada. Canada Dept. Northern Affairs and Na- tional Resources, Forestry Branch Bull. 123:1-71, 1 map. Tanner, Vaino. 1947. Outhnes of the geography, life & customs of Newfoimdland-Lab- rador. Vol. 1. Cambridge: 1-436, 186 fig., 23 maps. Tansley, a. G. 1953. The British Islands and their vegetation. Vol. 2. Cambridge :i-xxviii, 487-930, 69 pi., 91 fig. Thomas, Morley K. 1953. Climatological atlas of Canada. Ottavi^a: 3-253, 74 charts. Williams, P. J. 1959. Arctic "vegetation arcs." Geog. Jour. 125( 1 ) : 144r-145, 1 pi. Date Due l^Kr University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publications Institutional libraries interested in publications exchange may obtain this series by addressing the Exchange Librarian, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. Requests of individuals are handled instead by the Museum of Natural His- tory, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. There is no provision for sale of this series either by the Library or the Museum. However, when individuals request copies from the Museum, the amount indicated below should be in- cluded for the purpose of defraying some of the costs of producing, wrapping and maihng. Nos. 6, 12, 17, 27, 36, 37 and 38 obtainable only from the Arctic Institute. *1. The Museum of Natural History, the University' of Kansas. By E. R. Hall and Ann Murray. Pp. 1—16, illustrated. January 5, 1946. *2. Handbook of amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 1—336, 233 figures in text. September 12, 1950. *3. in memoriam, Charles Dean Bunker, 1870-1948. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 1-11, 1 figure in text. December 15, 1951. ♦4. The University of Kansas, Natural History Reser\'ation. By Henry S. Fitch. Pp. 1-38, 4 plates, 3 figures in text. February 20, 1952. *5. Prairie chickens of Kansas. By Maurice F. Baker. Pp. 1-68, 4 plates, 15 figures in text. March 10, 1953. 6. The barren ground caribou of Keewatin. By Francis Harper. Pp. 1-163, 28 figures. October 21, 1955. Copies, paperbound, SI. 50 postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washingson, D. C. 20009. 7. Handbook of mammals of Kansas. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 1-303, illustrated. De- cember 13, 1955. Paperbound, $1.50 postpaid. 8. Mammals of northern Alaska, on the arctic slope. By James W. Bee and E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 1-309, frontispiece colored, 4 plates, 127 figures in text. March 10, 1956. Paperbound, $1.00 postpaid. 9. Handbook of amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. 2nd [revised] edition. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 1-356, 253 figures in text. April 20, 1956. Paperbound, $1.50 post- paid (cloth $4.00). ♦10. The raccoon in Kansas. By Howard J. Stains. Pp. 1-76, 4 plates, 14 figures in text. July 6, 1956. *11. The tree squirrels of Kansas. By Robert L. Packard. Pp. 1-67, 2 plates, 10 figures in text. August 20, 1956. 12. The mammals of Keewatin. By Francis Harper. Pp. 1-94, 6 plates, 8 figures in text, 1 map. October 26, 1956. Copies, paperbound, 75 cents postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, D. C. 20009. *13. Museum of Natural History . . . University of Kansas. By Roy R. Moore and E. R. Hall. [An unpaged, illustrated "flier," liy, in. X 8% in., printed on both sides, and folded twice.] June 1, 1957. 14. Vernacular names for North American mammals north of Mexico. By E. Raymond Hall, Sydney Anderson, J. Knox Jones, Jr., and Robert L. Packard. Pp. 1-16. June 19, 1957. *15. The ecology of bobwhites in south-central Kansas. By Thane S. Robinson. Pp. 1-84, 2 plates, 11 figures in text. September 6, 1957. *16. Natural history of the prairie dog in Kansas. By Ronald E. Smith. Pp. 1-36, 4 plates, 9 figures in text. June 17, 1958. 17. Birds of the Unga\a Peninsula. By Francis Harper. Pp. 1-171, 6 plates, 26 figures in text. October 15, 1958. Copies, paperbound, $2.00 postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, D. C. 20009. 18. Furbearers in Kansas: A guide to trapping. By Howard J. Stains and RoUin H. Baker. Pp. 1-100, 2 plates, 13 figures in text. November 19, 1958. Paperbound, 50 cents postpaid. *19. Natural History Museum. By Rov R. Moore and E. R. Hall. [An unpaged, illustrated "flier," 14% in. X 8% in., printed on both sides, and folded twice.] Mav 29, 1959. 20. Handbook of gastropods in Kansas. By A. Byron Leonard. Pp. 1-224, plates 1-1 1, 87 figures in text. November 2, 1959. Paperbound, Sl.OO (cloth $2.00) postpaid. 21. Management of channel catfish in Kansas. By Jackson Davis. Pp. 1-56, 8 figures in text. November 2, 1959. 22. Hand-list of the birds of Kansas. By Richard F. Johnston. Pp. 1-6 [folded twice]. May 7, 1960. *23. Directory to the bird-life of Kansas. By Richard F. Johnston. Pp. 1-69, 1 figure in text. August 31, 1960. *24. Natural History Museum. By Roy R. Moore and E. R. Hall. [An unpaged, illustrated "flier," 141/2 in. X 8% in., printed on both sides, and folded twice.] October 19, 1960. 25. Guide to the panorama of North American mammals. By E. Raymond Hall, et al. Pp. 1-31, silhouettes in black and white of panorama, life-zones, and taped com- mentary for each zone. December 15, 1960. (Continued on outside of back cover) *Out of print. ( Continued from inside of bat k cover ) 26. Beaver in Kansas. By F. Robert Henderson. Pp. 1-85, illustrated. December 16, I960. 27. Land and fresh-water mammals of the Ungava Peninsula. By Francis Harper. Pp. 1-178, plates 1-8, 3 figures in text. August 11, 1961. Paperbound, $2.00 postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Wash- ington, D. C. 20009. 28. Handbook of unionid mussels in Kansas. By Harold D. Murray and A. Byron Leonard. Pp. 1-184, 4.5 plates, 42 figures. May 10, 1962. Paperbound, .$1.00 postpaid. 29. Farm ponds in Douglas Countv, Kansas. Bv Claude E. Hastings and Frank B. Cross. Pp. 1-21. May 17, 1962. 30. Collecting and preparing study specimens of vertebrates. Bv E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 1-46, 34 figures. May 21, 1962. Paperbound, 50 cents postpaid. 31. Natural History Museum. By Roy R. Moore and E. R. Hall. [An unpaged, illus- trated "flier," 14'/i; in. X 8V'. in., printed on both sides, and folded twice.] June 1, 1962. 32. The bobwhite in Kansas. By Gary Packard. Pp. 1—12, illustrated. November 16, 1962. 33. Spiders of the Universit>' of Kansas Natural History Reservation and Rockefeller Ex- perimental Tract. By Henr>- S. Fitch. Pp. 1-202, 104 figures in text. December 20, 1963. 34. Habits of the red fox in northeastern Kansas. By William C. Stanley. Pp. 1-31, 3 plates, 3 figures in text. December 21, 1963. 35. Natural History Museum. By Roy R. Moore and E. R. Hall. [An unpaged, illustrated "flier," 14'{; in. X 8V2 in., i)rinted on both sides, and folded twice.] March 2, 1964. 36. Caribou Eskimos of the Upper Kazan River, Keewatin. By Francis Haiper. Pp. 1-74, 10 plates. April 20, 1964. Paperbound, $1.50 postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, D. C. 20009. 37. The friendiv Montagnais and their neighbors in the Ungava Peninsula. By Francis Harper. Pp. 1-120, 20 plates. April 20, 1964. Paperbound, $2.00 postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Wash- ington, D. C. 20009. 38. Plant and animal associations in the interior of the Ungava Peninsula. By Francis Harper. Pp. 1-58, 7 figs., 1 map. April 20. 1964. Paperbound, 50 cents postpaid from the Arctic Institute of North America, 1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Wash- ington, D. C. 20009.