Preble, Edward Alexander, 1871-1957

During the summer of 1907 Seton, accompanied by Edward A. Preble ... as assistant, made an expedition to the Barren Grounds in the vicinity of Aylmer Lake, Mackenzie District ... Their route was by way of the Athabaska River, Slave River, Great Slave Lake, and the chain of lakes northeastward to Aylmer Lake.

Edward Alexander Preble (1871-1957) was a naturalist and conservationist who conducted major field investigations of the birds and mammals of the northwest regions of Canada and the United States. Preble was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, and developed a strong interest in natural history during his youth in Wilmington, Massachusetts, and Ossipee, New Hampshire. Through early contacts with Frank Harris Hitchcock, Preble was appointed a Field Naturalist with the Bureau of Biological Survey in 1892 under Clinton Hart Merriam. Preble was appointed Assistant Biologist in 1902, Biologist in 1924, and Senior Biologist in 1928. While in the field for the Bureau, Preble kept detailed field diaries and notebooks. In addition, Preble always recorded observations of the local flora, fauna, and physical surroundings near his Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C., homes In his later years with the Bureau as Senior Biologist, Preble became very interested in wildlife management and conservation. In 1925 Preble was appointed Consulting Naturalist for Nature Magazine, the publication of the American Nature Association. In 1935 he retired from government service to become the Associate Editor and, until his death in 1957, he wrote, edited, and reviewed articles for Nature Magazine. Preble published extensively throughout his life and corresponded with many naturalists and conservationists