NO. 1405. }fAMMALS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES— MACFARLANE. 747 



We all know how the l)is()u or ])affalo of the prairies of Canada and 

 the United States has practically disappeared, although half a cen- 

 tury ago it was reckoned by millions. The beaver has been Canada's 

 staple fur for centuries, and but for the Hudson's Bay Compan}' and 

 its officers it would long- ugo have ceased to exist as a connnercial 

 asset. Unless further action speedily intervene in the premises, how- 

 ever, the ultimate extermination of tlie Canadian beaver is merel}' a 

 question of time. It has already disappeared for good from many 

 sections in which it was formerly present. It is becoming very scarce 

 in certain localities where it should receive immediate protection in 

 the way of several legally-assured years of rest and full exemption 

 from disturbance by hunters. In other districts, where it is gradually 

 but surely diminishing in num))ers, its killing should be restricted on 

 lines similar to those pursued by the company for many ^^ears subse- 

 quent to ISm. (xreater latitude might be accorded to hunting in now 

 unknown and not easily accessil)le parts where it pro])a1)ly abounds; 

 but except for food absolutely required no one should ))e permitted to 

 trap or shoot beaver out of sea-^^on. It is useless making rules and 

 regulations, however, unless they be strictly enforced. The woodland 

 buffalo is now receiving some well-deserved attention in this regard, 

 and it is al>out time that the musk ox should be protected from indis- 

 criminate slaughter solely for the sake of his head or hide; there 

 should be a seasona])le limit imposed upon hunters thereof. Neither 

 should the mountain goat and sheep, the elk. and the valuable food 

 animals — the moose and woodland caribou — be neglected in this con- 

 nection. And although the Barren Ground reindeer is still abundant, 

 yet the northern Indians should not ))e permitted to continue or resume 

 their ancient vicious course of reckless and indiscriminate slaughter of 

 them whenever the opportunity appeared. 



From Fort Anderson and nearly every other post, including Fort 

 Yukon, skulls and other parts of the ))eaver were obtained for trans- 

 mission to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington. While sta- 

 tioned at Fort St. -lames, British Columbia, in 18S7 and 1889, I sent 

 to the same Institution two embryo skins taken from the uterus of a 

 female killed in the vicinity early in May (there were live in all), 

 together with that of a 2-weeks-old example captured in the latter end 

 of the same month. As to albinos, they are very rare, but I have 

 seen perhaps as many as ten skins in course of my long residence in the 

 Northwest Territories. I have also observed quite a number of tine 

 dark skins of the beaver in various parts of the countr3^ I think 

 those taken by the natives of Quel)ec who resort to Bessimis post in 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence are among the very finest. Labrador, East 

 Main, and other Hudson Bay posts also furnish a small number of 

 similar pelts. As a rule, those which frequent clear- water streams have 

 a better color than is the case with the sunmier inhabitants of very 



