NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 87 



race mexicanus. His specimens were from Blanco, Kimble, 

 and Edwards Counties. 



To the eastward, intergradation with the race carolinensis 

 may be expected, if specimens become available; while to the 

 westward the beavers of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers 

 probably represent the race mexicanus. 



Writing in 1905, Bailey states that "beaver are still found 

 in many of the streams of eastern Texas, especially in the 

 larger rivers, where deep water and steep banks afford protec- 

 tion against relentless trapping. In 1892, at Arthur, in north- 

 eastern Texas, I was informed that they were fairly common 

 along the Red River and that trappers caught a few each year. 

 In 1902, at Texarkana, Oberholser was told that a few were 

 still found in the Red River, and in 1901, at Mobeetie, was 

 informed that they were common in Sweetwater Creek, a 

 branch of the North Fork of the Red River." A few were 

 found at this time in scattered colonies along the Colorado 

 River and in the Brazos and Trinity Rivers. In 1904, Bailey 

 was told that in Polk County, in eastern Texas, beavers were 

 abundant only a few years before. In northeastern Texas, on 

 the upper Sabine River, trappers annually obtained them. 



A. H. Cook (1940), in a study of live Texas beavers captured 

 in the summer of 1939, describes an infestation, of three out of 

 40 animals examined, by the screw- worm fly (Cochliomyia 

 americana), which had deposited eggs in wounds on sides, 

 back, or hind limbs. He suggests that such wounds were due 

 to fighting as a result of overcrowding. One of the infected 

 animals seemed unable to control movements of the hind legs 

 and died; while another, treated with "bone oil" (a fly repel- 

 lent), recovered. 



Family CRICETIDAE: Hamsterlike Rats and Mice 



JAMAICAN RICE RAT 

 ORYZOMYS ANTILLARUM Thomas 



Oryzomys aniillarum Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, vol. 1, p. 177, 1898 

 ("Jamaica"). 



The Jamaican rice rat is believed now to be extinct, although 

 it lived up till about the 1880's. Probably the introduced 

 mongoose had a large share in its disappearance, for the last 



