1903.] Allen, Mammals from Northeast Siberia. 153 



" Mr. Brower, who had been at Point Barrow 10 years as a 

 trader, had never seen a Dicrostonyx until we showed him one, 

 although he had observed many Lemmus and one large 

 migration in 1888. Our series of the former contained 48 

 specimens, all that we could obtain, while that of the latter 

 contained 606, and we could have taken many times that 

 number had we cared to do so. 



"During May when the snow was melting, leaving only 

 patches scattered over the tundra, one could see hundreds of 

 them in a day's walk on the tundra. At that time the moss 

 is still frozen so they cannot burrow in it. On one day at 

 this time our Japanese cook killed 105 in one day. On June 

 21, 1898, I counted over 100 in a fox burrow. On June 7, 

 1898, found five Lemmus and two Dicrostonyx in a nest of 

 the Snowy Owl, both of the latter still white enough to be 

 very conspicuous against the black tundra. 



"Considering that these two lemmings have about the 

 same habits and the same environment it would be interesting 

 to know why the one that changes to white during the winter 

 .and has horny pads on his fore feet, and is apparently better 

 fitted in every way to elude his enemies and obtain food, 

 is so much rarer than the other form which is not so well 

 equipped." N. G. B. 



17. Lemmus obensis chrysogaster, subsp. nov. 

 GOLDEN LEMMING. 



Myodes schisticolor MIDDENDORFF (not of Liljeborg), Sibirische 

 Reise, Saugethiere, 1853, 108. " Westkuste des Ochotskischen Meeres 

 (Ajan)." 



Type, No. 18762, juv., Gichiga, west coast of Okhotsk Sea, July, 

 1901; N. G. Buxton, Jesup North Pacific Expedition. 



Two specimens, a skin and skull, and a specimen in spirits, taken by 

 Mr. Buxton at Gichiga, July 26, 1901. 



The spirit specimen (type), dried out to show its coloration, is 

 yellowish brown above varied with black, more grayish brown and less 

 yellowish on the head and neck, the fulvous tint gradually increasing 

 in brightness and amount from the shoulders posteriorly, becoming 

 strong yellowish rufous on the lower back and rump ; sides and ventral 

 surface orange ochraceous, paler on the throat and at the base of the 

 tail; chin and sides of mouth soiled buffy white; top of nose pale 



