198 Natural History of the 



Geological Survey, who most kindly furnished me with a list o l 

 the Birds, and drew up the accompanying Catalogues of Ooleop 

 Wa, Lepidoptera, and Plants. 



VERTEBRATA. 

 MAMMALIA. 



Vespertilio subula*us (Say's Bat). — Numerous in the vallies of 

 the Ristigouche and Matapedia Rivers. I killed one of them with 

 my fishing rod, which in its eagerness to take the bait from my 

 hook, did not cease to fly after it, till it met with its death. 



Sorex Forsteri (Forster's Shrew Mouse). — Procured two spe- 

 cimens; said by the Indians to be very abundant. 



Ursus Americanus (The Black Bear). — Not uncommon; there 

 are two varieties in the district, one all black, and the other, which 

 is said to be more ferocious, black with a white spot on the breast* 

 The fur of the Gaspe bears is of a highly superior quality. 



Mustela martes (The Pine Martin). — The Indians bring home 

 from their winter hunts, more of the skins of these animals than 

 of any other. 



M. vison (The Mink). — Ranks next to the marten in its impor- 

 tance to the Indian hunter. 



M. vulgaris (The Common Weasel). — Abundant. 



M. Canadensis (The Fisher). — Does not seem to be very abuu- 

 dant, but the Indians always bring to market a few of their skins 

 when they return from their hunts. 



Mephitis Americana (The Skunk). — Not uncommon, and some- 

 times killed by hunters for its skin, which is used for making 

 sleigh robes. 



Lutra Canadensis (The Canada Otter). — Very abundant along 

 every stream. One of our Indians told me that he once secured 

 three otters of large size, with one shot. He said, that after watch- 

 ing for them some time, they all came up together through a 

 hole in the ice, when he aimed at the middle one and killed it on 

 the spot, only a few grains of shot striking the other two, who 

 immediately set on one another, as though mutually supposing 

 each other to be the cause of their pain, and during the combat 

 he dispatched them both with his tomahawk. 



Canis lupus (The Common Wolf). — I w r as informed by the 

 Indians that the wolf does not come farther north than the St. John 

 River, where they are sometimes seen in small parks, and destroy 

 the young moose. 



