APLODONTID.E 95 



The jjlants that I saAv cut for food were an Iris, an Astragu- 

 lus, willow and alder. To these Allen adds fir, manzaiiita and 

 lilies ; and Price CeanotJms, Rhododendron and mountain cran- 

 berry. Probably many other plants are also eaten. They can 

 climb bushes, and Allen and I each saw brush and small trees 

 trimmed off tliree or four feet from the ground. I saw bunches 

 of plants laid up on low^ bushes to dry, commonly over entrances 

 to burrows, most of these not being much dried, as if they car- 

 ried them in as soon as they were well wilted. 



All the animals caught were alive when I reached them in 

 the morning. None had made any attempt to gnaw off the 

 leg, as true beaver would have done. Most of them were the 

 length of the trap chain down their burrows. While pulling 

 them out they made a whining sound. Some showed fight. 

 They used their hind feet in grasping as readily as their fore 

 feet and as well as a squirrel. It would appear that other ani- 

 mals prey on the ]\Iountain Beaver as I caught a weasel and two 

 skunks in traps set for Mountain Beaver. Hibernation is prol> 

 ably imperfect. The fur is of no value. 



Aplodontia phsea Mkrriam. (Dusky.) 



POINT REYES MOUNTAIN BEAVER. 



Similar to major; smaller; above grizzled bistre. 



Length of type specimen 330 mm. (13 inches) ; tail verte- 

 bra? 30 (1.201) ; hind foot 55 (2.15). 



Type locality, Point Reyes, Marin County, California. 

 Limits of distribution unknown. The only other record that I 

 have seen that may apply to this species is that of a specimen in 

 the collection of the California Academy of Sciences from near 

 F<ureka. 



