168 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



Ondatra zibethica (Linnaeus). Muskrat. 



The residents hold them plentiful but in mid- 

 summer they are not so frequently seen. Each sum- 

 mer a few are observed at Otter lake. 



Epimys norvegicus (Erxleben). House Rat. 



They are reported to be present in the lower 

 country at Bracebridge. All residents agree they 

 have not seen them about Otter lake or northward 

 and in the years of camp none have been taken 

 around it. 



Mus musculus Linnaeus. House Mouse. 



We have no records of it at camp nor m its vicin- 

 ity. Some residents in the Fletcher lake region did 

 not know of them. A few people about Dorset 

 assert they occasionally occur there. 



Zapus hudsonius (Zinnermann). "Kangaroo 

 Mouse." 



The jumping mouse is not often taken about the 

 camp. On June 30, 1913, we captured two alive 

 in large pits. Most of the residents either do not 

 know them or hold them not very plentiful. Just 

 as in more cultivated regions some of the residents 

 note their particular abundance in hayfields at cut- 

 ting time. 



Erelhizon dorsaium (Linnaeus). Porcupine. 



Very common. According to some a great nuis- 

 ance in lumber camps and rangers cabins. They 

 gnaw the tables, leather seats, chairs, wagon seats, 

 belting, etc., yet we believe them persecuted unduly 

 and would hate to see them lost to the north woods. 



Marmoia monax canadensis (Erxleben). Wood 

 chuck. 



Common everywhere. Some of the fire rangers 

 eat the half grown ground hogs. They were about 

 the camp where one semi-tame one near our tent 

 was fed raspberries, bread, and leaves of the bass- 

 wood, wintergreen, sorrel, and raspberries. 



Tamias striaius lysteri Richardson. Chipmunk. 



Common about camp, along road to Dorset, in 

 lumber camps, on rocky cliffs, about sphagnum bogs, 

 and in almost any habitat not aquatic. 



Sc'iuTus hudsonicus (Erxleben). Red Squirrel. 



Common. A great nuisance around lumber camp 

 supplies. One ranger tried to frighten them away 

 with a stuffed porcupine, but it didn't work. Occa- 

 sionally a wild red squirrel will leap for a person. 

 On road to Dorset one of the authors heard a chase 

 in the thicket beside the road and was surprised to 

 have a red squirrel run for him and leap at his 

 knee. This form is held by all the residents as res- 

 ponsible for the scarcity of black squirrels. 



Sciurus carolinensis leucotis (Gapper). Black 

 Squirrel. 



Scarce. Once more common in this region 

 around Lake of Bays and southward. Some re- 

 port it too cold for them while others maintain the 

 species has lost its hold in its struggles with the 

 red squirrels. None of the residents have seen the 

 gray phase. The last black squirrel taken near 

 Otter lake was in October, 1909. 



Sciuropterus sabrinus (Shaw). Northern Flying 

 Squirrel. 



Reported not uncommon in old stubs. We did 

 not see any alive or skins. On September, 1913, I 

 found the tail cf one near a residence and on in- 

 quiry the owner said the cats frequently catch them 

 and leave only the tails around the house. The tail 

 vertebrae of the tail I picked up measured 24 mm. 

 or in accord with the measurement for 5. 5. macrotis. 



Castor canadensis (Kuhl.). Beaver. 



Quite common. The tracks, dams, signs and 

 work of beavers are not infrequent in the outlet of 

 Otter lake, along Ten Mile creek, at Hardwood 

 lake, and throughout the region. One of the most 

 interesting experiences of the camp is to spend a 

 night beside a dam of a beaver colony. 



Lepus americanus virginianus (Harlan). South- 

 ern Varying Hare. 



Very common throughout this region. About 

 the beginning of camp (July 1) the young half 

 grown hares are common about the camp quarters. 

 In one garbage hole 4 feet deep we caught them 

 early in the season (July 2, 1913). Others smaller 

 were caught occasionally by hand. When the last 

 of the councillors leave camp September 15 or 

 earlier these hares have no perceptible change in 

 pelage. Later in late October and early November 

 they get the new white coat. There are no cotton- 

 tails at Dorset, Otter lake or northward. 



Odocoileus americanus (Erxleben). Virginia 

 Deer. 



Common. 



Alces americanus Jardine. Moose. 



Not common. The first year Professor C. V. P. 

 Young began his camp he saw one and every year 

 some one of the camp reports tracks or signs of 

 moose. A resident of Fletcher lake for 40 years 

 said he had shot three or four during that period 

 and that there were a few stray moose in the re- 

 gion. Another reports "odd Moose here and there 

 between the head of Hollow lake and Algonquin 

 Park. All agree there are no caribou (Rangifer 

 caribou.) 



