1850 TO 1865 361 
As I said before, while this Institution, like myself, thinks it but 
the just due of you all who have collected so diligently and well, 
that the report of the results of your operations should be such as 
would do you all credit, at the same time I would beg that you too 
should all continue to do your part as well as you have done. 
Now, oh, McFarlane, by the memory of our snarls and growls 
at each other and following reconciliations, by the many times you 
did my camp work for me, by the recollection of that fur robe and 
blanket sewed together, under which we slept so many nights, I con- 
jure you send me out every shrew, arvicola, lemming, rabbit, and 
ermine you can lay hands on and skulls with all if possible. 
SHREWS 
ARVICOLAE 
With skulls LEMMINGS With skulls in ’em. 
ERMINES 
In summer and winter dress. 
I have not yet studied anything up thoroughly except the Sciu- 
ride, but though I’ve not determined the others I’ve looked far 
enough to find that there are a number of Arvicole, lemmings and 
ermines not in Baird or Richardson; some rabbits also. 
Prof. Baird is monographing the shrews and gets several new 
species from the North. 
The small siffleur of Fort Good Hope and Yukon is true Spermio- 
philus parryi. The big one of the mountains is Arctomys pruinosus— 
true A. monax, var. empetra is found on Liard River and south of 
Slave Lake. 
Please try hard to get more of that large red-backed Arvicola 
with very short tail. Prof. Baird declares it is not a true Arvicola 
and I declare it is not a lemming, and I rather suspect it will prove 
a new genus as well as species. 
Close observation will show you numerous species of both Arvi- 
cole and lemmings and doubtless of ermines and shrews as well. 
The species of these animals generally resemble each other very 
closely, and it is only by having numerous good specimens that we 
can settle these knotty points. I find the skulls often give important 
specific characters. It is not worth while to spend much time on 
skeletons—they are not so important as skulls. 
