NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 71 



throughout this valley, and from the size of some of the old 

 dams they must have existed here in immense numbers at one 

 time, but at present, though there are a good many left still, 

 they are more scattered, apparently not more than one or two 

 families at any one point, and such groups separated by inter- 

 vals, sometimes of several miles. Nearly all the smaller streams 

 were obstructed by their dams, and most of the adjoining low 

 lying land flooded as a consequence . . . We saw no 

 beavers at Nootka Sound, but were told that there were many 

 at Vernon Lake, some eight or ten miles inland from the head 

 of Tahsis Canal" and a few at Central Lake. 



In response to inquiry, Maj. Allan Brooks writes me under 

 date of July 8, 1939: "Beavers still exist in some numbers on 

 Vancouver Island. There are few localities where the trapping 

 is not in the hands of licensed trappers, who pay $10 a year for 

 a denned area where no other trappers are allowed. By this 

 method they can conserve their furbearers. There are locally 

 closed areas also, as at Comox, Vancouver Island, where no 

 beavers are allowed to be trapped and they are numerous. 

 Over the whole northern third of this island the beavers of late 

 years have been decimated by co\igars; it will take them many 

 years to recover. " 



Rio GRANDE BEAVER 



CASTOR CANADENSIS MEXICANUS Bailey 



Castor canadensis mexicanus Bailey, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 26, p. 191, 

 Oct. 23, 1913 ("Ruidoso Creek, 6 miles below Ruidoso, New Mexico"). 



The Rio Grande beaver is closely related to the race frondator 

 with which it had been associated until Bailey distinguished it 

 in 1913 as slightly different in its duller and paler colors, with 

 very little chestnut at any season. He gives the weight of an 

 adult as 47 pounds and the total length of an adult female as 

 1,070 mm. 



The geographic range of this race is believed to be only the 

 Pecos and Rio Grande drainage in New Mexico and Texas. In 

 northern New Mexico it shows a tendency to intergrade with 

 the darker frondator. The most comprehensive account of it is 

 that of Bailey (1931), who has gathered what information is 

 available as to its habits and status. In earlier times the beaver 

 was a source of food and fur for the Indians in the region and 

 its remains may be found in their kitchen middens. Bailey 



