N0.14W. MAMMALS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES— MACFARLANE. 741 



as known, does the male render any assistance in rearing them. I 

 am not able to substantiate this statement by my own experience. 



The Hudson's Bay Company does not trade rabbit skins in the inte- 

 rior, but from the posts situated on the shores of Hudson Bay they 

 annually export to England many thousands. From 1853 to 1877 the 

 total amounted to 1,118,361 skins. Twelve of these years had sales 

 varying between a mininuun of 1,030 in 1871 to 15,917 in 1869, and 

 then from 50,918 in 1876 to the maximum sale of 171,715 in 1855. 

 The three next years of the series turned out 111,103 in 1865, 113,930 

 in 1867. and 106,320 in 1868. Subsequent to 1877 I have no data, 

 except for January, 1897, when 81,759 skins were sold; January, 1900, 

 with 18,372, January, 1902, with 5,857, and January, 1903, with 

 16,873 skins. The pelt of this valuable food animal is of great service 

 to northern Indians, who cut up the fur skins into narrow strips and 

 therewith make them into robes for their women and children and 

 tunics or shirts for the men for winter use, and these garments cer- 

 tainly prove warm and comfortable for them. The American hare 

 does not inhabit an}^ of the large islands situated to the north of the 

 continent. It is there replaced by Z. tircflcus. Neither did IVlcClin- 

 tock at its extremity (Bellot Strait) nor Ross at near its center on 

 Boothia Felix meet with any examples or traces thereof on that far 

 extending northeastern portion of Canada's continental territory. 



LITTLE-CHIEF-HARE. 



OcJtotoiia princejjs ( Richardst >u ) . 



Altliough I have never made the acquaintance of this hare-like mam- 

 mal, yet from what jVIr. Moberly states I incline to think that it is 

 to be found sparing!}' on both sides of the Rocky Mountains as far 

 north as latitude 60^ — Richardson's northern limit. Moberly also 

 refers to a ra])))it about the size of Lepii^ ainci'icanns^ of a grayish 

 color, which does not change to white in winter, while its movements 

 are very swift. Indians informed Mr. Ross that little-chief -hares were 

 coumion in the mountains of the Liard River, while Jack McQuesten 

 obtained some specimens on the upper Yukon, a))Out 200 miles south 

 of the old fort and in about latitude 63"^ north. 



CANADA PORCUPINE. 



EreOnzon ihjrxatus (Linnaeus). 



Porcupines are but rarely met with in the wooded countr}' of the 

 northern Anderson River, but in the region to the south they are 

 somewhat more numerous, though nowhere in the far north very 

 abundant. It is said that they copulate in Septem]>er, and that the 

 3'oung are not brought forth until the following A})ril. They are usu- 

 all}' one or two in numl)er, and, like most mammals, are born blind and 



