Pag British CoLtumptra. 1920 — 


Ochotonide. 
Genus Ochotona. 
The Pika, or Little Chief Hare, has the appearance of a miniature brown rabbit, althougi 
it represents an independent family, being neither a hare nor a rabbit. Its habitat is high up 
on the mountain ranges of the West, from near timber-line up to the line of perpetual snow. 
They live among the caves and crevices of the rock-slides and are to be found sitting on the 
top of some prominent rock; at the least alarm they give a shrill call and disappear into their 
retreats, only to appear again to see if the intruder has gone away. 
These little animals are very industrious, and work constantly through the day, gathering 
grass and various alpine plants, which are piled up (like miniature stacks of hay) among the 
rocks for their winter use. 
The series of skins in the collection of the Provincial Museum are all from the Mainland of 
the Province, and have recently been identified by Mr. Howell, of the Biological Survey, United 
States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 
So far as is known, there is no record of the genus occurring on Vancouver Island; although 
it is quite possible that biological research in our Alpine-Arctic zones may add this mammal to 
the fauna of Vancouver Island. 
Species known to occur in British Columbia are as follows :— 
Ochotona princeps princeps (Richards). Distributed throughout the Rocky Mountains in 
British Columbia, northward to the South Branch of the Mackenzie River. 
Ochotona collaris (Nelson). This is a northern species found in the mountains from south 
of Fort Yukon, including Atlin District, Northern British Columbia. The two skins in the 
Museum collection from White Mountain, Moose Arm, Tagish Lake, Atlin, presented by the late 
F. H. Mobley, M.P.P., are identified as this species. 
Ochotona cuppes (Bangs). Throughout the Gold Range, British Columbia. Type locality, 
Monishe Divide. 
Ochotona feniser, Distributed through the Okanagan and Tulameen, the data of skins in 
the Museum collection recording an altitude of from 3,500 to 4,000 feet. 
Ochotona feniser brooksi. Skins recorded from Sicamous to Mount McLean, Lillooet. A 
comparatively new subspecies ranging through the Cascades. 
Ochotona minimus (Lord). Distribution in British Columbia near the boundary-line. 
Limits of range unknown. Type from Ptarmigan Hill, Cascade Range, B.C. 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
Birds.—In this branch considerable work has been carried on throughout the year with the 
study series, ten new specimen sectional storage-cases having been added. The collection has 
been considerably worked over and made more accessible for students, and at the present time 
we are installing another sixteen sectional cases to take care of the balance of the valuable 
study skins, which have been stored in boxes and were not very accessible to those persons who — 
wished to consult our large bird-skin collection of the birds of this Province. 
Since Mr. J. W. Gibson, the Director of Elementary Education, has inaugurated his nature- 
study in the public schools of this Province, considerable call has been made on the Museum, 
more particularly in the study of bird-life. Numbers of classes have been brought here by their 
teachers, and the Director and his assistants have given all the possible instruction to these 
young students in their study of ornithology. The Department has also loaned a number of 
skins to several of the school-teachers upon request, so that they should have them handy for 
instructions in their nature-study at different times during the school term. 
This, however, is not very satisfactory, on account of breaking into the series that should 
not really be loaned out for this purpose. It would be a capital idea if the Department of 
Education would take up the matter of having small collections of mounted specimens under 
their own jurisdiction; these to be sent round from school to school throughout the Province 
in cities and towns and districts where there are no measures similar to the Natural History 
Museum in Victoria. This would assist the children greatly in their identification of species, 
and also give them an idea of what to look for in their rambles throughout the country. 
Numbers of requests come from time to time from other museums for the loan of ornitho- 
logical material for study by specialists who are working out the exact species and subspecies, 
that vary so in different portions of America, according to geographical conditions. 

