1912] Swarth: Birds and Mammals from Vancouver Island 101 



Lutra canadensis periclyzomae Elliot 

 Island Otter 



One was trapped by Despard near Parksville the last week in 

 April (no. 12475). This specimen, an adult female, measures 

 as follows : length, 1219 ; tail, 495 ; hind foot, 127 ; weight, twenty- 

 four pounds. The skull is not to be distinguished from specimens 

 from southeastern Alaska, but in color the skin is appreciably 

 darker than any of our specimens from the latter locality. The 

 general color of the upper surface is very dark brown, between 

 seal brown and clove brown; below it is about Prout brown. 



The species is probably of general distribution over the island, 

 though we did not meet with it elsewhere. I saw a skin at 

 Friendly Cove that had been procured somewhere in the vicinity. 



Gulo luscus (Linnaeus) 

 Wolverine 



There arc a few wolverines on the higher mountains of 

 Vancouver Island, but they are rare, and but very seldom 

 trapped. Despard saw the tracks of what appeared to be this 

 species near the summit of Mount Saunders, on July 2. and I 

 was told of one or two that had been killed in the mountains 

 near Alberni in years past. Mr. Smith, the storekeeper at 

 Friendly Cove, told me that the Indians usually brought in one 

 or two every year, and promised to save me the next one he 

 received. In accordance with this promise he later shipped to 

 the Museum the skin of a wolverine caught by an Indian some- 

 where in the immediate vicinity of Nootka Sound, during the 

 winter of 1910-11 (no. 13006). Unfortunately he was unable 

 to get the skull for us. 



This animal is extremely dark colored as compared witli two 

 skins at hand from the Alaska Peninsula. These latter (the only 

 additional ones available) are summer specimens, however. The 

 Nootka wolverine is colored as follows : Forehead and muzzle 

 very dark brown, almost black. Top of head, from between the 

 eyes, abruptly paler, more grayish. Dorsal stripe from neck to 

 rump glossy black. Lateral stripes, meeting on rump, grayish 

 over the shoulders, and becoming more yellowish posteriorly at 



