66 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



The situation is only a couple of feet above the 

 Ridout river's highest water mark. Their prefer- 

 ence for cool, mossy, damp woods is clearly evident. 

 No trails made by these animals or any other small 

 mammal could be found; evidently all ranging in- 

 discriminately over the forest floor. The other 

 animals found associated with Synaptom^s were 

 Evotomys gapperi, Sorex personaius, and Microtus 

 p. fontigenus. 



Red Backed Mouse, Euotomys gapperi gapperi 

 (Vigors). 



Though experiencing no particular difficulty in 

 collecting red-backed voles at Ridout, their numbers 

 were evidently much less than were found by 

 Miller north of Lake Superior. 



The six specimens taken are all of the red phase. 

 Tvs^ individuals are somewhat larger than the 

 others. An examination of the teeth seems to indi- 

 cate that all are young, with the exception of two 

 which are noticeably inclined to the double-rooted 

 molar of the adult. These were not, however, deep 

 and distinct, better described perhaps as half-rooted. 



This was found in two distinct surface situations, 

 the deep mossy woods and the comparitively high 

 ground adjoining them. The first specimen I trapped 

 was on a low pine ridge with an elevation of about 

 forty feet above the contiguous spruce woods. 

 Another was captured in a similar situation but 

 lower in elevation, sparsely wooded, and strewn 

 with rocks. The remainder were taken in deep 

 forests. Nowhere was the species common. 



Forest Meadow Mouse; Forest Vole; 

 HuDSONiAN Meadow Mouse, Microtus pennsyl- 

 vanicus fontigenus (Bangs). 



The forest vole appears to be rather uncommon at 

 Ridout ; though traps well baited and in favorable 

 places remained set throughout the full time of the 

 trip, only four examples were secured. This seems 

 to suggest a scarcity of the species at least locally. 

 All were taken in natural grassy meadows in the 

 vicinity of the Ridout river. Particulars of the 

 habitat will be found under Blarina brevicauda. 



I had hopes, after making dental and cranial ex- 

 aminations of these four specimens of finding a 

 Phenacomys among them but in this I was disap- 

 pointed. It is reasonable to suppose that a colony 

 exists in the vicinity of Ridout since Miller took 

 them at Peninsula Harbor and as their range ex- 

 tends east to Labrador. 



The blackish-brown, and smaller size of two of 

 the individuals indicate their immaturity. The two 

 other examples, both adults are dull chestnut-brown 

 above, darkened along the back with coarse blacx 

 hairs. Underparts in one silvery-plumbeous, in the 

 other plumbeous gray tinged with pale buff. All 

 have feet brownish and tails indistinctly bicolored. 



MusKRAT, Ondatra zibethica Linn. 



Mr. Visser informs me that formerly the musk- 

 rat was common in the region but exceptionally high 

 water, I think a couple of years ago, nearly exter- 

 minated them. The extensive and elaborate water- 

 system of the country should be very favorable for 

 this animal. Only a couple were seen while canoe- 

 ing on the Ridout river; while of the usual "sign" 

 on partly submerged logs, little was in evidence. 

 No houses were observed. 



Canada Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum Linn. 



The porcupine occurs sparingly throughout the 

 region. Although spending several weeks during 

 two autumns in the forests about Ridout only one 

 individual was seen. This one was curled up and 

 asleep under a big spruce in the midst of an exten- 

 sive coniferous forest. Little trails running out in 

 several directions from the cozy hibernal retreat, 

 showed plainly in the deep moss as they lead up to 

 numerous trees upon which the porcupine fed. The 

 scarcity of the species in the locality may be a re- 

 flection of similar conditions throughout the county. 

 Preble' found them nowhere abundant on his 

 Hudson Bay trip and remarks: "In a country 

 where the life of the native is a constant struggle 

 for food, the ease with which this animal may be 

 taken, is sufficient reason for its scarcity." 



Canada Woodchuck, Marmota monax cana- 

 densis Erxleben. 



I could get no information concerning this animal 

 at Ridout. The season was already too far ad- 

 vanced when I arrived for any collecting, as the 

 animals hibernate in mid-September. Some small 

 burrows observed on sandy southern slopes and 

 credited to Mephitis mephitis may have belonged 

 to monax. 



Miller- reported the woodchuck common at 

 Peninsula Harbor so they may be expected to occur 

 at Ridout. Preble' also alludes to specimens re- 

 corded by Allen from James Bay and Nelson River. 



Lake Superior Chipmunk, Eutamias quadri- 

 vittatus neglectus (Allen). 



This small form is only of moderate abundance at 

 Ridout. Miller found it "excessively abundant" 

 on the north shore of Lake Superior but these super- 

 latives would not apply in this instance. 



Regarding these specimens collected, Dr. R. M. 

 Anderson remarks: "These specimens differ prin- 

 cipally from Eutamias quadrivittatus borealis 

 (Allen), Northern Chipmunk, in having the sides 

 much redder; typical borealis having the sides pale 



fl) Preble, E. A., Mammals of Keewatin; N.A. 

 Fauna, No. 22, p. 59, 1902. 



(2) Miller, Jr., G. S., Mam. of Ont., Vol. 28, No. 1, 

 p. 26. 1896. 



(3) Preble, E. A., Mam. of Keewatin, N.A. Fauna, 

 No. 22. 



