222 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA [No. 55 



The following notes in the Portland Oregonian of June 1, 1931, by 

 Ranger Ralph Elder of the Ochoco National Forest in semiarid 

 northeastern Oregon give some idea of the beaver in conservation 

 of water: 



The removal of beaver has been a large factor in the shortage of water during 

 the drought through which we are passing. Streams have dried up below 

 former beaver dams to an alarming extent and water for stock has been 

 reduced. * * * During 1914, as forest guard, I assisted Forest Ranger 

 Anderson and Homer Ross, supervisor, to survey a road across a virtually dry 

 draw just below the Cold Springs ranger-station cabin. It was decided that 

 a bridge was unnecessary, as not enough water ran across the prgposed road 

 location to justify building one. During 1920 beaver moved into this draw and 

 constructed a dam just above the proposed road location, near a large spring. 

 Since that time these dams 1 have been increased, and at present approximately 

 2 acres are wet beaver meadows and swamps, and springs have developed 300 

 yards below this. During the past season, the driest on record, water was 

 plentiful for a distance of a quarter mile below the beaver dams, and springy 

 places were increased all down the draw. * * * The actual improved area 

 is hard to estimate and the increase in water for the dry part of the season 

 can only be guessed at, but there is plenty of water for a band of sheep at all 

 seasons and at least 20 acres of land that were dry in the very wet season of 

 1914 are kept fairly moist. 



Another example of more recent date is at Little Summit ranger station. 

 This area was formerly full of beaver, but the last, as far as we could tell, 

 were trapped out about 1925. From that date to 1929 the old ditch and the 

 entire meadow were fast becoming a dust bed. During 1928 and 1929 no water 

 ran out at the lower end of the station. * * * Some beaver moved back in 

 1929 and by the fall of 1930 the meadow in the pasture was 75 percent irri- 

 gated. The old ditches were full of water and a nice stream was running at 

 the lower end of the station. While hardly sufficient handily to water a band 

 of sheep this much had been accomplished' during two summers. I believe, from 

 the evidence of a number of dams, that several beaver are there, which is 

 probably the result of moving in rather than of natural increase. I have every 

 reason to believe that by 1932 this entire meadow will be irrigated and that 

 there will be plenty of water for a band of sheep at all seasons, below the 

 station fence. * * * Water stored in this ground during the earlier part 

 of the season will go a long way toward raising the water table for a consider- 

 able distance below, and, as the country is flat, it will undoubedly improve the 

 forage on an area of at least 40 acres, in addition to the land actually surface 

 irrigated. It will also provide water for sheep one-half mile farther down the 

 stream than has existed before. 



CASTOR CANADENSIS SHASTENSIS TAYLOR 

 SHASTA BEAVER; POME of the Klamath (C. H. M.) 



Castor subawratus shastensis Taylor, Calif. Univ. Pubs., Zool. 12 : 433, 1916. 



Type (skull only). Collected at Cassel on Hat Creek, near Pit River, in 

 Shasta County, Calif., by H. E. Williams, in 1893. 



General characters. External characters from two skins collected at Thomas 

 Creek, Lake County, Oreg., by H. J. Roosa, October 19, 1921. Externally 

 scarcely distinguishable from pacificus, unless slightly brighter chestnut about 

 head and tail in fresh October pelage. Skull readily distinguished by shorter, 

 wider outline, short, wide, posteriorly pinched in nasals and heavy rostrum. 



Measurements. Medium-sized female from Thomas Creek, Lake County, 

 Oreg.: Total length, 1,046 mm; tail, 300; foot, 185; ear (dry), 25. Weight, 42 

 pounds. 



Distribution and habitat. Known only from the Pit and Klamath 

 River drainage in northern California and southern Oregon, from 

 specimens taken at Cassel, Calif., and from Thomas Creek, a small 

 branch of Cottonwood Creek, which flows into the northwestern 



