Sewellels 



Varieties of the Beaver 



1. Canadian Bea-cer. Casio?' canaJensis Kuhl. Description and 



range as above. 



2. Carolinian Beaver. C. canaJensis carolincnsis Rhoads. Some- 



what lighter in colour; larger in size with a decidedly 

 broader tail. 



Range. Southern and lower Middle States. Now almost 

 extinct, though still found in parts of North Carolina. 



Two other races occur in the northwest coast region and in 

 the Rocky Mountains. 



SEWELLELS 



(Family Aplodontida) 



The sewellels are peculiarly isolated animals, having no close 

 affinity with any other existing rodents, but constituting one of 

 those interesting "connecting links" that have been preserved 

 from some former geological age. They are allied to the squirrel 

 and marmot tribe and come perhaps nearer to the beaver than 

 anything else in their skeletal peculiarities. They have extremely 

 broad flat skulls, thick clumsy bodies, with practically no neck, 

 short ears and very short tail. 



Sewellel 



Aplodontia rnfa (Rafinesque) 



Also called Mountain Beaver. 



Length. 12 inches. 



Description. Body thick-set, legs short, tail very short, projecting 

 but slightly beyond the fur. Above reddish-brown, with scat- 

 tered black hairs, grayish below, tail black. 



Range. Cascade Mountains, eastern Washington and Oregon. 

 Several allied species or varieties are found in other parts of 

 these States and in Northern California. 



These curious animals are found only in the limited area above 

 described. They are more or less aquatic in habits, living in 



