1908.] MAMMALS. 205 



abundant at Fort Rae in the winter of 1893-94:" Whitney states 

 that they were plentiful in the region southwest of Smith Landing in 

 February, 1895, and south of Fort Resolution in the following May. 6 

 These two latter notes evidently refer to the cycle of abundance pre- 

 ceding the one which came under my own observation. 



Allen records specimens from Methye Portage, Fort Resolution, 

 Fort Rae, Fort Liard, and Fort Simpson/ 



Lepus americanus macfarlani Merriam. MacFarlane Varying Hare. 



The varying hares of the Hudsonian zone, as before intimated, 

 are larger than those of the Canadian. This race has been separated 

 under the name L. a. macfarlani, described from Fort Anderson.'* 

 Specimens from Fort Franklin and from the Mackenzie near the site 

 of old Fort Good Hope belong to this form. Owing to the great 

 amount of individual variation in the northern varying hares, no 

 satisfactory color differences are apparent. Three specimens taken 

 on the Mackenzie near the site of old Fort Good Hope on June 27, 

 1904, are in nearly complete summer coat. One still retained much 

 white on the thighs, and all had a few white hairs on the back. These 

 specimens are rather dark; in one black is the predominating color 

 above. The three average: Total length 491.6, tail vertebra? 41.3, hind 

 foot 149. The largest measures 500, 40, 155. Besides specimens from 

 Fort Anderson, the type locality, the collection of the National Mu- 

 seum contains skulls from La Pierre House and Peel River. 



Lepus americanus columbiensis Rhoads. British Columbia Varying 



Hare. 



The hares of western Alberta are separable from typical ameri- 

 canus, and apparently are referable to L. a. columbiensis. Specimens 

 from Jasper House and Fiddle Creek, Alberta, exhibit considerable 

 individual variation, but in general are more rufous than more 

 eastern and northern specimens, and have less black on the back. 

 .V large proportion of these Alberta skins have white feet. I may 

 mention that this character, which has been regarded as an important 

 one, T consider of little weight, as it depends merely on altitudinal or 

 latitudinal conditions, the white feet of the winter pelage not being 

 entirely replaced by a summer molt in northern and high ranging 

 individuals of the various forms. The young of all the forms of 

 (his group have brown feet. Compared with specimens from the 

 Hudson Bay and Athabaska regions, the skulls from western Al- 

 berta are longer and relatively narrower across the zygomata. 



»Expl. in Far North, p. 248, 1N!)S. 



''On Snow Shoes to Barren Grounds, pp. 124 and 298, L896. 



c Monographs N. A. Rodentla, pp. 312-314, 1S77. 



* Merriam, Proc. Washington Acad. Sci., II, p. 30, 1900. 



